1.1.1 Fun in A comprehensive grammar of the English language
Fun can be described as a noncount (uncountable), abstract noun (Quirk et al. 2005: 246-247), or a qualitative, evaluative adjective. This means that the word has a double word class membership.
Quirk et al. (1985) note that ―Fun is primarily a regular noncount noun: a great deal of fun, great fun, some fun. However, in informal usage (esp AmE), fun has been fully converted into an adjective: The party was fun; a fun person; a very fun party‖ (Quirk et al.
1985: 412, 7.14 note c). Quirk et al. (1985: 70) further use the word homomorph to describe words with the same morphological form but different syntactic functions (e.g. fun, adjective and fun, noun). They suggest that this is related to processes of word-formation, that is, functional conversion/functional shift/zero derivation, explained as ―the derivational process whereby an item is adapted or converted to a new word class without an addition of an affix‖
(Quirk et al. 1985: 1558, App 1.43). Conversion is treated as a process ―for extending the lexical resources of the language‖, rather than a historical process (1985: App. 1.44). They also note that the converted item might not have the same semantic range as it had/has in the
―original‖ word class (Quirk et al. 1985: 1560, app 1.46). Furthermore, a criterion is set for conversion from noun to adjective: ―membership of this category can be postulated only when the noun form occurs in predicative as well as in attributive function […] since the latter is freely available for nouns within the grammar of the noun phrase‖ (Quirk et al. 1985: 1562:
1.51).
Four criteria for adjectives are presented, however, not all adjectives possess all four.
According to these criteria, adjectives
freely occur in attributive function (premodify a noun, between the determiner and the head of a noun phrase);
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(3) These are both educational and fun days and all ages, from primary to junior and senior schools have already booked their places. (BNC, CJ6)
freely occur in predicative function (function as subject or object complement);
(4) Maisie showed worrying signs of interest in feminism. ‗It sounds fun!‘ she said. (BNC, ASS)
can be premodified by the intensifier very;
(5) She loves giving away free stuff to people. It's very campy, it's very fun, so she could be in the running.(COCA, 2007, Spoken)
can take comparative and superlative forms (by means of inflection (-er and –est) or by addition of premodifiers more and most) (Quirk et al. 1985: 402-403).
(6) LOWRY: It's definitely easier and funner to talk about it, there's no doubt about it. And we have seen kind of a melding together of the political and the tabloid culture when it comes to the media. (COCA, 2000, Spoken)
(7) Use the kookiest, prettiest, funnest, most interesting or elegant cocktail glasses you can find - dip rims in fruit juice and then into colored sugar (COCA, 2004, Newspaper)
(8) You meet some of the wildest, wackiest, weirdest, most fun people — and at the same time there's some really dark forces at work.‘ (BNC, ACP)
Classification of fun as adjective according to Quirk et al. would probably result in fun as more peripheral in BrE (BNC) ( - for very and inflectional comparison) and more central in AmE (COCA) (+ for all criteria, even for inflectional comparison)
1.1.2 Fun in the Oxford English Dictionary
As a starting point I will look at how fun is defined and explained in a monolingual
dictionary, the Oxford English Dictionary4 The etymology in the OED of fun, noun suggests that it probably developed from fun as a verb: [prob. f. FUN v.]
It further list three senses of fun as a noun: The first is obsolete: ―A cheat or trick; a hoax, a practical joke‖. This sense will not be commented further. Table 1 contains the two remaining senses. or in fun: as a joke, sportively, not seriously. (he, it is) good, great fun: a source of much amusement. like fun: energetically, very quickly, vigorously. what fun! how very amusing! for the fun of the thing: for amusement; to have fun (with): to enjoy (a process); spec. to have sexual intercourse.
Usage C) Exciting goings-on. Also fun and games, freq. used ironically;
4http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50090878?query_type=word&queryword=fun&first=1&max_to_show=1 0&sort_type=alpha&result_place=1&search_id=Dpfl-CTHTdK-3732&hilite=50090878
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spec. amatory play. colloq.
Sense 3 A) Comb., as fun-loving adj. Also attrib., passing into adj. with the sense ‗amusing, entertaining, enjoyable‘.
Usage B) Special comb., as fun fair, a fair (or that part of a fair) which is devoted to amusements and side-shows; funfest chiefly U.S., a gathering for the purposes of amusement; fun-maker, a comedian, humorist, jester;
fun run orig. U.S., an organized and largely uncompetitive long-distance run, esp. characterized by the mass participation of occasional (often sponsored) runners; also fun runner, one who takes part in a long-distance run for fun, rather than competitively; fun running.
Table 1. Sense of fun in the OED
1.1.3 Funny in A comprehensive grammar of the English language
Funny can be described as a qualitative, evaluative, gradable adjective. It can be used attributively and predicatively, and as a postmodifier in noun phrases. It is compared by means of inflectional endings (<funnier> (COCA 397, BNC 60), <funniest> (COCA 833, BNC 120), but it does also occur compared periphrastically, by adverb modifiers <more> (25 in COCA, 7 in BNC) and <most> (6 in COCA, 1 in the BNC). Interestingly, the superlative
<funniest> is more frequent in both corpora.
As mentioned in section 1.1.1, Quirk et al. (1985) define four criteria for adjectives. I have postulated that, depending on the variety and the register, fun can be said to possess two or three (or even four) of these qualities. Funny, on the other hand, possesses all 4 of these qualities, and is thus a central adjective: The criteria are:
attributive function;
(9) KOTB: But here' s the funny thing, I had a great... GIFFORD: Waste of time, let me tell you. Just been scoped and I' m singing to her. I think I must be on the call of duty. Grrr. That sound. KOTB: I had a gift for you and I left it at the Mandarin Oriental. (COCA, 2009, Spoken)
predicative function;
(10) The new book is funny and depressing at considerable length, and there are moments when a wee terror comes of its expanded universe. (BNC, A05)
intensifier very;
(11) It's not hard to see why even when clean, Kamrok's verses are very funny. (BNC, K3X)
comparative and superlative forms
(12) Featuring both his usual team of recurring players plus excellent additions, Kevin Smith's sequel is as good, if not even funnier than the terrific original. One of the funniest films to be released so far this year. (COCA, 2006, Newspaper)
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1.1.4 Funny in the Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary5 gives the etymology of funny as being a derivation of fun noun: [f. FUN n. + -Y1.] The dictionary further lists 4 senses for funny adjective (A). Number 3 is obsolete: ―slang. Tipsy. Obs‖. Interestingly, fun (affording fun) is used to describe funny in sense 1 in the OED. B is funny plural noun, and it only has one sense.
A Sense 1. a. Affording fun, mirth-producing, comical, facetious.
Usage b. funny business, action (on the part of a clown or actor) intended to excite laughter; hence, jesting, nonsense; also slang, fooling or monkeying about;
deceitful or underhand practices; similarly funny stuff, funny dope; funny column, paper, a (section of a) newspaper containing humorous matter or illustrations. orig.
U.S.
A Sense 2. a. Curious, queer, odd, strange.
colloq.
Usage b. funny-peculiar, a colloquialism introduced to distinguish sense 2 from sense 1 (funny-ha-ha), the two antithetic expressions freq. appearing together.
Addition 1993: [A.] [2.] Usage c. funny money colloq. (orig. U.S.), money which for some reason is not what it seems: spec. (a) currency which has been devalued by inflation; (b) counterfeit currency; (c) financial assets which have been created or amassed by incomprehensible or unscrupulous accounting; also, a ridiculously large amount of money.
A Sense 4. Comb.,as funny-looking adj.; funny-bone, the popular name for that part of the elbow over which the ulnar nerve passes, from the peculiar sensation experienced when it is struck; also fig.; funny-face, a joc. and colloq. form of address; funny farm slang, a mental hospital; funny-man, a professional jester; funny party Naut., a ship's concert party.
B. n. pl. Comic illustrations, etc.; spec. comic strips, or the section of a newspaper devoted to these (D.A.)..Hence, funny persons, books, etc.; jokes. rare in sing. orig. U.S.
Hence funnily adv., in a funny manner; funniness, the quality or state of being funny; a funny saying or joke. Also funnyism nonce-wd., a joke
Table 2. Senses of funny in the OED