The highlighter is used to highlight the text

Question

The highlighter is used to highlight the text. highlight was made from two different words high and light. If highlight is seen as a portmanteau of two different words, then what part of speech is light? Is it a noun or an adjective?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Is it useful to you to know something like this?

If I had to, I'd probably say a noun. Or possibly a verb. Not an adjective.

Best wishes, Clive

Avangi · Answer

Just my opinion. High is an adjective and light is a noun. That is, the brightness (noun) of the affected text is intensified, or heightened. The light (noun) is higher (adjective).

Women had their hair "highlighted" in the 50's and 60's, which lightened only certain spots, giving (I suppose) the impression of lights shining on the high spots.

The term has been used for as long as I can remember in connection with speeches, arguments, or essays. The noun would refer to the salient points (the highlights of the argument) and the verb would refer to the process of calling attention to certain points (be sure to highlight this fact).

Highlighter as a tool for calling visual attention to parts in the text, is more recent, I think. The tool is a noun and the process is a verb (highlighter, to highlight.) I don't often hear the resulting "highlight" referred to, but it would be a noun. You may say the text is (or has been) highlighted.

This probably didn't answer your question. Are you asking if both high and light may be taken as adjectives within the compound word *** ? That is, the highlighted portion is light, or lighter, when compared to the rest of the text. I think the answer to this is "No." Personally, I think of a highlighter as a device, or process, which imparts light to the selected text, therefore a noun

*** "portmanteau" is a new one on me. Is it French?

- A.

Jackson6612 · Answer

Avangi*** "portmanteau" is a new one on me. Is it French?

Hi Avangi,

Let me first offer my apologies to you and other members for not not thanking you in recent posts. The fact is I'm not getting enough time even to post any further questions to my already posted postings. I hope you nice people would not mind this, at least for some time.

As far as portmanteau is concerned I don't know. I checked M-W it said it was a mixture of French and Latin. I remember this word because I read somewhere that the name of Tom Cruise's daughter is portmanteau of the names of her parents.

With best wishes,
Jackson

Avangi · Answer

Glad to know you are well.

CalifJim · Answer

high is an adjective. It can also be used as a noun.
light is a noun. It can also be used as a verb and as an adjective.

highlight is both a verb and a noun.
highlighter is a noun.
highlight is a compound, not a portmanteau.
CJ

Jackson6612 · Answer

CalifJimhigh is an adjective. It can also be used as a noun.
light is a noun. It can also be used as a verb and as an adjective.
highlight is both a verb and a noun.
highlighter is a noun.
highlight is a compound, not a portmanteau.
CJ

Thanks for the correction, Jim.

The highlighter is used to highlight the text

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