Anonymous: Hi,Myriad as an adjective, NOT noun: I saw myriad stars. My confusion is: do we need an article in front of myriad? I saw a myriad stars. The article 'the' would be odd here. So which article is right, or is an article necessary at all? Thanks, I saw a myriad of stars is correct. Use the article  . You can use the definate article (the) but only is the listener/reader knows the myriad you are refering to. Native British Speaker. Time is a great teacher - unfortunately it kills all of its pupils. Hector Berlioz Myriad as an adjective, NOT noun: I saw myriad stars.Myriad is both an adjective and a noun: myr·i·ad, n. 1. a very great or indefinitely great number of persons or things. 2. ten thousand. –adj. 3. of an indefinitely great number; innumerable: the myriad stars of a summer night. 4. having innumerable phases, aspects, variations, etc.: the myriad mind of Shakespeare. 5. ten thousand. (RHUD) An indefinite article can be used with myriad whenever that is required. CB  Newt Gingrich, criticizing Mitt Romney, his rival for the US presidency: "He speaks French!" Anonymous: Thanks, but I am not talking about the NOUN myriad, only the ADJECTIVE myriad. 'I saw a myriad of stars' is fine because myriad in this instance is a noun. But what if I am using it as an adjective? Do I say: I saw myriad stars (without an article). Anonymous: That's a fine question and I have to congratulate you that. That's a mystery! Why on earth does one need the indefinite article before a plural noun modified by the adjective 'myriad'? a myriad stars "Men... exploit and injure in a myriad subtle ways." [Ann Oakley] Thanks, but I am not talking about the NOUN myriad, only the ADJECTIVE myriad. 'I saw a myriad of stars' is fine because myriad in this instance is a noun. But what if I am using it as an adjective? Do I say: I saw myriad stars (without an article).In that case, no article. A myriad of stars -- okay Myriad stars -- okay A myriad stars -- no Veteran Member 25,033    Anonymous: Hi GG,What about this: The adjective myriad with the infinitive article 'a' before the plural noun does the same job as the adjective 'a thousand' in the phrase 'in a thousand ways' . Does it work? Is that reasonable? It's reasonable, but it's wrong. Apparently myriad has a literal meaning of ten thousand, so you wouldn't say "a ten thousand ways." You'd just say "ten thousand ways." (I didn't know this about myriad until I looked it up to participate in this thread.) I can see ten thousand stars -- even if I can only see a few thousand. I'm using it hyperbolically. There are ten thousand reasons not to marry him! (Even if I can only name a dozen right now.) I can see myriad stars. There are myriad reasons not to marry him. Note, by the way, that there will be people who follow prescriptive beliefs about English who will tell you that "a myriad of..." is wrong. In fact, THEY are wrong to say so, and you may want to have a usage note like this one handy. I get this from my own editor, and I just ignore the "correction" and carry on. Veteran Member 25,033 Anonymous: Thanks, GG, for your fine explanation. | |
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