Many

[Luckysquirty]

Many people enjoyed the picnic.

What part of speech is "many"? Thank you.

 

[jutfrank]

It's a determiner.

 

[PaulMatthews]

Many people enjoyed the picnic.

What part of speech is "many"? Thank you.

There's no question that it is a quantificational expression best called a 'determinative', or by some a 'determiner', the difference being one of class vs function.

Dictionaries use the term 'determiner' for the word class, while not (understandably) talking of its function (https://www.lexico.com/definition/many)

Personally, I prefer the term 'determinative' for the class and 'determiner' for the function, but that's another story!

 

[jutfrank]

There's no question that it is a quantificational expression best called a 'determinative', or by some a 'determiner', the difference being one of class vs function.

Dictionaries use the term 'determiner' for the word class, while not (understandably) talking of its function (https://www.lexico.com/definition/many)

Personally, I prefer the term 'determinative' for the class and 'determiner' for the function, but that's another story!

Yes, I like that distinction very much. I'll try to remember to use it from now on.