In the collocation "baby girl" is "baby" an adjective or a noun?
1 Answer
The answer would depend on context, but in most cases I think it is safe to assume baby is an attributive noun (or noun adjunct)— a noun which modifies another noun.
See also When can a noun be used attributively?.
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I can't think of a situation in which it would be an adjective. It always stays a nominal modifier. Jan 21, 2014 at 9:53
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Google claims it can: ... baby adjective 1. comparatively small or immature of its kind. AHD goes further: baby adj. bab·i·er, bab·i·est 1. Of or having to do with a baby. 2. Infantile or childish. 3. Small in comparison with others of the same kind: baby vegetables. Jan 21, 2014 at 12:43