Being + adjective

[Milbern]

What is the meaning of" being + adjective" in the phrases "the state of being + adjective, the quality of being +adjective?

 

[emsr2d2]

Where did you find the following?

"the state of being + adjective, the quality of being +adjective"

 

[teechar]

What is the meaning of" being ...

Hi there, and welcome to the forum.
1- Have you looked up the meaning of "being"? Bookmark www.onelook.com
2- Always try to give us a sentence to illustrate the point you're inquiring about.

 

[Milbern]

Where did you find the following?

"the state of being + adjective, the quality of being +adjective"

I’m still at the beginning of learning English grammar and haven’t covered those topics yet, but thank you for reminding me of the essential elements of writing.

I encountered those phrases in the meanings of states and qualities in dictionaries. For example, happiness = the state of being happy and roundness = the quality of being round. Are the phrases "being + adjective" (like being happy and being round) considered states? I don’t understand the meaning of "being happy" or "being round," or rather the phrase written in this format. If they are states too, then the meaning of happiness will be the state of the state called "being happy," and roundness is the quality of the state called "being round." If this is true, the meaning of happiness will also be the attribute of an attribute called "being happy," and roundness is the attribute of an attribute called "being round."

Sorry, I am confused. Please help me understand the meaning conveyed by the phrase written in the format "being + adjective." These phrases are abundant in dictionaries, and they frustrate me every time I encounter them.

 

[Milbern]

Hi there, and welcome to the forum.
1- Have you looked up the meaning of "being"? Bookmark www.onelook.com
2- Always try to give us a sentence to illustrate the point you're inquiring about.

Hello, Teechar! Thanks for welcoming me!

I think "being" will always be somewhat related to existence because, if I am not mistaken, its root is derived from "exist." By the way, OneLook is a good dictionary. In just one click, you will gain access to different online dictionaries. Thank you for recommending it to me!

I just want to understand the idea expressed by the phrase written in the format “being + adjective.” They are mostly used in defining the meanings of abstract words in dictionaries. For example, happiness is the state of being happy. The phrase “being + adjective” that I am referring to is used as a noun.

 

[teechar]

Are the phrases Does "being + adjective" (like being happy and being round) considered talk about states?

Yes.

If they are states too, then the meaning of happiness will be the state of the state called "being happy," and roundness is the quality of or the state called of "being round."

Yes.

I think "being" will always be somewhat related to existence

Or to the state of something (as you have clearly shown you understand above).

I just want to understand the idea expressed by the phrase written in the format “being + adjective.”

Try looking up phrases such as "being happy", "being fat", etc. in www.fraze.it

They are mostly used in defining the meanings of abstract words in dictionaries.

No. For example:

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fraze.it

 

[Milbern]

Yes.

Yes.

Or to the state of something (as you have clearly shown you understand above).

Try looking up phrases such as "being happy", "being fat", etc. in www.fraze.it

No. For example:

Improve Your Writing skills

Improve your writing skills, learn from professional writers.

fraze.it

So, if being happy is a state, does it mean that to get the idea of being happy, I must abstract it from the particular instances where the subject is described as happy, such as 'He/She is happy.' and to get the idea of happiness, which is also a state based on its dictionary definition, I have to abstract it from being happy. If this is true, then happiness is not a synonymous term for being happy, but rather an idea abstracted from the state called being happy. Am I right?

By the way, why did you put corrections here? Roundness is the quality of the state called being round. Isn't this correct? I thought being round is a state too.

 

[Tarheel]

@Milbern I'm not sure what your point is. You can describe "happiness" as "the state of being happy", but what does that really say? What's the state of being happy? That's the condition we're in when we're happy. And around and around we go. Are you really asking a question?

As for roundness, you don't need words for that. Just look at a circle.

(I had to remind myself that this started out being about a grammar point.)

Somebody once said that all definitions are ultimately circular.

 

[jutfrank]

I'll give you a different answer.

The verb 'being' in your examples has no meaning. Its role is purely grammatical, functioning as a copula verb linking subject and predicate.

I am happy.

The verb 'be' there has nothing to do with existence. This is predicative 'be', not existential 'be'. The adjective 'happy' describes the state, not the verb 'be'.

In the dictionary definitions, the meaningless verb 'being' is in the -ing form for grammatical reasons, following as it does the preposition 'of'. Verbs functioning as preposition complements must be in the -ing form. This is not the gerund 'being', as in the existential sense.

 

[Milbern]

I'm not sure what your point is. You can describe "happiness" as "the state of being happy", but what does that really say? What's the state of being happy? That's the condition we're in when we're happy. And around and around we go. Are you really asking a question?

As for roundness, you don't need words for that. Just look at a circle.

(I had to remind myself that this started out being about a grammar point.)

Somebody once said that all definitions are ultimately circular.

So you mean that 'being happy' is equivalent to 'happiness' because they express the same idea, the only variation is that 'being happy' is a gerund phrase and 'happiness' is an abstract noun? Is this what you want to convey to me?

 

[Milbern]

I'll give you a different answer.

The verb 'being' in your examples has no meaning. Its role is purely grammatical, functioning as a copula verb linking subject and predicate.

I am happy.

The verb 'be' there has nothing to do with existence. This is predicative 'be', not existential 'be'. The adjective 'happy' describes the state, not the verb 'be'.

In the dictionary definitions, the meaningless verb 'being' is in the -ing form for grammatical reasons, following as it does the preposition 'of'. Verbs functioning as preposition complements must be in the -ing form. This is not the gerund 'being', as in the existential sense.

Sorry, what you said is new to me. Can you explain this further?

The prepositional phrase introduced by 'of' in 'happiness is a state of being happy' is used as a modifier for the word 'state.' So if 'being' is meaningless in this 'of' phrase, the only modifying idea it will express is the idea derived from the word 'happy.' Therefore, happiness is a state that is described by the word 'happy.' Is this what you want to convey to me?

 

[Tarheel]

So you mean that 'being happy' is equivalent to 'happiness' because they express the same idea, the only variation is that 'being happy' is a gerund phrase and 'happiness' is an abstract noun? Is this what you want to convey to me?

I would not normally need to make a distinction between the two. However, "happiness" and "being happy" are, in my humble opinion, not exactly the same thing. Nevertheless, there is no need to make a distinction between the two. (It would not be time well spent.)

 

[jutfrank]

The prepositional phrase introduced by 'of' in 'happiness is a state of being happy' is used as a modifier for the word 'state.' So if 'being' is meaningless in this 'of' phrase, the only modifying idea it will express is the idea derived from the word 'happy.'

Yes, right.

Therefore, happiness is a state that is described by the word 'happy.'

No, I'm not saying this.