These dead

[AUTOMOON]

《Gettyburg Address by A. Lincoln 》

Have you read the masterpiece of all time?


There is one sentence in it , as quoted:
---that we here highly resolve that these dead shall never have died in vain.


You see, dead , in most cases, serves as an adjective rather a noun , but it is not the case in the sentence above, right?
And what is you opinnion?

Thank you.

[Tdol]

It is a noun here. We do speak of 'the dead' as a noun, though you are right to say it's usually an adjective.

[AUTOMOON]

You mean , dead as in these dead serves as a noun, while an adjectitive as in the dead , which is far less frequently used?