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My question pertains to the rules, and more specifically the ostensible violation of the rules on the modification of nouns into adjectives.

I sometimes experience difficulty of knowing when to adjective-ify nouns when (1) the adjective immediately precedes the noun in question and (2) the adjective version of the noun exists and is spelled differently.

Take the two examples I came across, surfing on the web:

a) "A journalistic career"

b) "A mathematics career"

Both phrases convey the same relative semantic idea and an almost identical construction bar one detail : in (a) the adjective version of journalist is deployed however in (b) the noun form of mathematics is left unaltered even though it functions as an adjective. The adjectival form of mathematics is obviously mathematical.

Is there a rubric or custom to distinguish when to adjective-ify nouns in these contexts? Or is it completely optional and both camps are valid?

Edit: another illustrative example : Is it correct to say "a gallery of cow pictures" or "a gallery of bovine pictures"?

Edit: My question is about the broader use and abuse of adjectives beyond the examples listed. Is there a hard-and-fast rule?

piccolo
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    The phrase analogous to "a mathematics career" would be "a journalism career". – Hot Licks Apr 18 '21 at 16:43
  • @Hot Licks , fair but between "a mathematics career" and " a mathematical career" which is correct and why? – piccolo Apr 18 '21 at 16:52
  • mathematics and mathematical, noun and adjective. Journalist, noun, no adjective really. Journalistic means "in the style of journalism". But it is not a straight adjective. – Lambie Apr 18 '21 at 16:56
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    I think the usual expression would be "A career in mathematics/journalism" and "a gallery of pictures of cows/cattle". – Kate Bunting Apr 18 '21 at 17:03
  • @Lambie when I google "define mathematical" and "define journalistic", I get parallel definitions. – piccolo Apr 18 '21 at 17:05
  • @Kate Bunting "A career in journalism/mathematics" is definitely a valid alternative construction but for me it feels like a cop-out because I want to be able to use the aforementioned construction where the adjective preceding the noun. – piccolo Apr 18 '21 at 17:09
  • I meant that I don't think there is a 'right or wrong' choice of adjective; if you want to express it that way you just have to pick one. – Kate Bunting Apr 18 '21 at 17:33
  • "Mathematical career" is ambiguous. Is it a career in mathematics, or a career that is guided by a mathematical formula? – Hot Licks Apr 18 '21 at 18:04
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    Adjectives tend to preferentially pick up certain of the many logically possible senses. 'Mathematical' usually refers to 'pertaining directly to mathematical applications ...' rather than the general 'relating to mathematics'. So the maths/mathematics department, not the mathematical department. And certainly not the physical department. An electric bill might be unpleasant, but an electrical bill could be fatal. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 18 '21 at 18:10
  • See also other questions here about arithmetic or arithmetical; geometric or geometrical; and so on. – GEdgar Apr 18 '21 at 19:08
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    “mathematics” and “journalism” careers. Noun adjuncts, not adjectives. – StephenS Apr 18 '21 at 20:08
  • A mathematical career might include finance, accounting, actuary of some kind, teaching math, even some kinds of engineering and architecture. – Xanne Apr 19 '21 at 01:43
  • @EdwinAshworth An electronic electric bill, however, is something many of us receive monthly or quarterly via email. My head's starting to hurt! – BoldBen Apr 20 '21 at 02:52
  • @Edwin Ashworth would you like to flesh out your comment into an answer post? – piccolo Apr 20 '21 at 23:52
  • When you've given dictionary definitions of the two words, example sentences from the dictionaries, and commented on the restrictions that obtain. The general question addressing 'when to use an attributive noun and when the corresponding adjective, when both exist' has been covered here before. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 21 '21 at 11:23

1 Answers1

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Although Lexico gives many examples of the use of mathematical, "Mathematical career" isn't one of them. The same is true of mathematics. However their first example of the use of journalistic is: Brian started his journalistic career with the Northern Echo.

"Journalism career" is certainly feasible but it sounds more awkward than "career in journalism". My guess, and Ngram seems to confirm it, is that a perceived awkwardness is our only guide when choosing one construction over the other.

Old Brixtonian
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    Galleries of cow pictures are called mooseums of course. – Old Brixtonian Apr 18 '21 at 17:58
  • ... Their pictures being arranged neatly. // But your answer just offers a guess as to identity of preferred premodifier. And it could be argued to be a chicken-and-egg situation (it sounds awkward because it's not usually used that way). – Edwin Ashworth Apr 18 '21 at 18:02
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    ...and cattle-ogged.// Now edited to include the words "my guess". (It's 'egg-and-chicken' btw.) – Old Brixtonian Apr 18 '21 at 18:29
  • If it's down to perceived awkwardness then I guess I just have to // take the bull by the horns and roll with it. – piccolo Apr 18 '21 at 18:44