What word can fulfill the most parts of speech?
I know there are several parts of speech:
- Noun
- Verb
- Pronoun
- Adjective
- Adverb
- Preposition
- Conjunction
- Interjection
There might be others as well. Sometimes a word, depending on how it is used, can fulfill more than one of these classes. For example, the word "run" can be a verb:
I run fast.
or it can be a noun:
Let's go for a run!
What word, taking into account all its definitions, can fulfill the most word classes?
Well is an interjection, adjective, adverb, noun, and verb. That's five.
Business is going well. [adverb]
All is well with us. [adjective]
Well, who would have thought he could do it? [interjection]
The well was drilled fifty meters deep. [noun]
Tears well up in my eyes. [verb]
There's also round, with five, if you count when it is used to mean around:
Give me a round figure. [adjective]
Shall we play another round of cards? [noun]
He had a look round before he kept going. [adverb]
They walked round the tree. [preposition]
The floor function rounds down. [verb]
Damn fits five of the categories.
-a verb: Damn you!
-a noun: I don't give a damn.
-an adjective: The damn rain won't stop.
-an adverb: That was damn close.
-an interjection: Damn! That was close.
The OED has definitions for but as 6 parts of speech: conjunction, preposition, adverb, noun, verb, adjective and pronoun.
- conjunction - "I would go to the store, but it's raining".
- preposition - "everything but the dog"
- adverb - "Bring but a bottle o' Primrose wine" (from OED) (synonymous with 'only')
- noun (archaic or Scots dialect) - "I found him settled in this but and ben." (OED) (inside of a house)
- verb - "Nay, but me no buts" (OED)
- adjective - "He conducted me to the but end of the mansion." (OED) (the very end)
- pronoun - "Not a man but felt the terror in his hair." (OED) sort of a negative 'who'
How about the word down?
- Noun: His pillow is made of down.
- Verb: The quarterback downed the ball.
- Preposition: He lives down the street.
- Adjective: His coat is made of down feathers.
- Adverb: He fell down.
- Interjection: Down, Fido!