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Peter
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 10:37 pm
Post subject: Bodily |
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I feel instinctively that 'bodily fluids' is wrong and it should be 'body
fluids'. Surely 'bodily' is an adverb and cannot be an adjective. Yet I find
many instances of 'bodily'. Can someone throw light on this for me. Many
thanks.
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meirman
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| Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 4:08 am
Post subject: Re: Bodily |
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In alt.english.usage on Mon, 6 Jun 2005 20:37:27 +0000 (UTC) "Peter"
<p.j.w@btinternet.com> posted:
| Quote: | I feel instinctively that 'bodily fluids' is wrong and it should be 'body
fluids'. Surely 'bodily' is an adverb and cannot be an adjective. Yet I find
many instances of 'bodily'. Can someone throw light on this for me. Many
thanks.
|
Bodily we roll along, roll along, roll along.
Bodily we roll along, in our fluids.
s/ meirman
Posting from alt.english.usage
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now in Baltimore 22 years |
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CDB
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 4:41 am
Post subject: Re: Bodily |
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"Peter" <p.j.w@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:d82c67$4i2$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
| Quote: | I feel instinctively that 'bodily fluids' is wrong and it should be
'body
fluids'. Surely 'bodily' is an adverb and cannot be an adjective.
Yet I find
many instances of 'bodily'. Can someone throw light on this for me.
Many
thanks.
|
It's true enough that many adverbs are formed from adjectives by
adding "-ly", but the same ending can form adjectives from nouns:
kindly, deadly (I didn't say "current nouns") manly, womanly and now,
all-new, studly. "Precious bodily fluids" became something of a
catchphrase in the wake of _Dr. Strangelove_ (q.v.), and that may be
why you have been troubled with so many sightings. CDB |
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Robert Lieblich
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 4:53 am
Post subject: Re: Bodily |
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Peter wrote:
| Quote: |
I feel instinctively that 'bodily fluids' is wrong and it should be 'body
fluids'. Surely 'bodily' is an adverb and cannot be an adjective. Yet I find
many instances of 'bodily'. Can someone throw light on this for me. Many
thanks.
|
There are plenty of English dictionaries that can throw light on
this. What they have in common is that they say "bodily" can be used
as an adjective. The "ly" ending does not necessarily indicate an
adverb. Consider, for example, "friendly," "lonely," and "homely."
This doesn't mean that a word can't be both adjective or adverb,
depending on context. But when context indicates that the word --
say, "bodily" -- is functioning as an adjective, that's what it is,
even if in other contexts it can be an adverb. "Bodily" swings both
ways.
Here's one to start you off, from American Heritage IV:
ADJECTIVE: 1. Of, relating to, or belonging to the body. 2. Physical
as opposed to mental or spiritual: bodily welfare.
ADVERB: 1. In the flesh; in person: bodily but not mentally present.
2. As a complete physical entity: carried the child bodily from the
room.
See <http://www.bartleby.com/61/24/B0362400.html>. Check others for
yourself; you can facilitate the process by going to www.onelook.com.
You started with this premise: "Surely 'bodily' is an adverb and
cannot be an adjective." Your premise is false. "Bodily" *can* be an
adjective -- and in "bodily fluids" that's just what it is. There's
nothing at all wrong with the phrase.
--
Bob Lieblich
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