substantivized adjectives

[Clark]

1. Does 'the wounded' always imply a multitude or can it be applied to one person?

e.g. The wounded was taken to hospital.

2. Can 'Dutch' be used as a noun?

e.g. There was a Dutch in the bar.

[Soup]

Singular sounds odd:

1. The wounded was taken to hospital.

Dutch as a noun works, as in pay/go Dutch. I'm not sure about its use in 2. though as I have not heard it used this way, but it's understandable and makes sense given the rules of the grammar;e.g., Chinese language => Chinese (person), and so on:

2. There was a Dutch in the bar.

[Soup]

Singular sounds odd:

1. The wounded was taken to hospital.

Dutch as a noun works, as in pay/go Dutch. I'm not sure about its use in 2. though as I have not heard it used this way, but it's understandable and makes sense given the rules of the grammar.

[beascarpetta]

1. Does 'the wounded' always imply a multitude or can it be applied to one person?
Yes,it does, since it's a plural noun

if you wanted to use wounded in the sigular,you'd have to use it with a noun
as in
a wounded soldier

e.g. The wounded were taken to hospital.

2. Can 'Dutch' be used as a noun?
maybe you should have a look there,but for singular use of nationality

There was a Dutchman in the bar.

hope this helps.

[Clark]

Thank you folks.

So with 'Dutch' you always have to specify the sex?

[beascarpetta]

Thank you folks.

So with 'Dutch' you always have to specify the sex?

well,in the singular at least

the Dutch lady

a Dutch man

but: the Dutch

[BobK]

Thank you folks.

So with 'Dutch' you always have to specify the sex?

Don't be misled by the spelling. The suffix -man (pronounced /mǝn/ or even just /mn/ with a syllabic nasal) is not the same as a /mæn/). They only sound the same in the plural (and even then the suffix can have less of a clear /e/ sound).

And as for 'the wounded' - it's plural, as others have said, but not necessarily a multitude (to use your word): "There were more than 50 people in the Embassy when the bomb exploded, but about half of them were unhurt. The wounded were taken to hospital."

b