ziero0
5th May 2021, 06:36 AM
pandemic (adj.)
of diseases, "incident to a whole people or region," 1660s, from Late Latin pandemus, from Greek pandemos "pertaining to all people; public, common," from pan- "all" (see pan-) + dēmos "people" (see demotic). Modeled on epidemic; OED reports that it is "Distinguished from epidemic, which may connote limitation to a smaller area." The noun, "a pandemic disease," is recorded by 1853, from the adjective. Related: Pandemia.
Above from Etymology Online.
First note that pandemic is an ADJECTIVE and not a NOUN.
ad·jec·tive
/ˈajəktiv/
a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it.
Which NOUN does pandemic modify or describe?
Treating an adjective as a THING is a crime against grammar. A case in point is the conversion of holocaust from adjective to noun in 1957. There was no holocaust (in the noun sense) prior to 1957 yet certain events which occurred during WW2 may be described as such. Pandemic seems to be following the same outline.
of diseases, "incident to a whole people or region," 1660s, from Late Latin pandemus, from Greek pandemos "pertaining to all people; public, common," from pan- "all" (see pan-) + dēmos "people" (see demotic). Modeled on epidemic; OED reports that it is "Distinguished from epidemic, which may connote limitation to a smaller area." The noun, "a pandemic disease," is recorded by 1853, from the adjective. Related: Pandemia.
Above from Etymology Online.
First note that pandemic is an ADJECTIVE and not a NOUN.
ad·jec·tive
/ˈajəktiv/
a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it.
Which NOUN does pandemic modify or describe?
Treating an adjective as a THING is a crime against grammar. A case in point is the conversion of holocaust from adjective to noun in 1957. There was no holocaust (in the noun sense) prior to 1957 yet certain events which occurred during WW2 may be described as such. Pandemic seems to be following the same outline.