How is "proper" used in "the building proper"?

Question

"The building proper is a tall, four-storey, masonry oval – a great bowl slung from outer rings of stacked barrel vaults."

What does the word "proper" mean in this sentence? Is it an adjective, or adverb?

@EdwinAshworth That post asks about the grammaticality. This one asks for part of speech and meaning. — Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_, Feb 14 '17 at 23:31
@Cascabel Do you claim that Colin Fine's answer there isn't also the answer here? — Edwin Ashworth, Feb 15 '17 at 16:18
@EdwinAshworth I was not completely happy with it as an answer to this one. It did not address the issue of part of speech. "adjective-adverb?" was only mentioned in the title of the question. — Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_, Feb 15 '17 at 16:26
@Cascabel No; Colin Fine's answer quotes OED's specification as adjective. — Edwin Ashworth, Feb 15 '17 at 16:39
@EdwinAshworth You mean the "a..," indicates it is an adjective? I had to look 3 times to find it. — Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_, Feb 15 '17 at 16:43
@Cascabel The definitions given by OED (genuine, real) are confirmatory. If the question here is merely asking about POS and meaning, that renders it unacceptable on lack-of-research grounds. — Edwin Ashworth, Feb 15 '17 at 22:17

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 14 '17 at 21:33

1

Proper means the building alone, not other structures like a garage or garden on the site: The building strictly by itself.

Adjective definition 5. Being within the strictly limited sense, as of a term designating something: the town proper, excluding the suburbs.

answered Feb 14 '17 at 21:33

Yosef Baskin

Curiously, in mathematics a proper divisor of a number is any divisor of the number other than the number itself. – Airymouse Feb 15 '17 at 00:29

1 Answers1