dreyfus, They both can be adjectives. Medium....intermediate in quantity, quality, size, position, or degree Middle ....means in the middle position; intermediate As an adjective ‘middle’ meaning ‘in the middle’ is used in many collocations. middle game…..the middle part of a game of chess Middle Ages…..the ages in the middle of European history middle age…….the years in the middle of a person’s life middle name…..the second of three names: John ‘Quincy’ Adams middleweight boxer….between lightweight and heavyweight Middle is not used as often as “medium” to mean intermediate (average). -He is of medium (average) height. …not….He is of middle height. (You might find this in an old novel.) -The medium (average) age for first-time brides in Canada is 32. ….not….The middle age for first-time brides in Canada is 32. But sometimes they mean the same thing. medium income = middle income medium distance race = middle distance race Medium is used in some collocations. medium dry wine. medium size shirt medium rare steak medium grade eggs

According to Webster's Dictionary "middle" is both a noun and an adjective. adjective - means central, intermediate, average in size, quality or status, e.g. the middle rung of a ladder / middle-lfe noun - means a place, moment or thing that occupies a middle position, e.g. the middle of the week / the middle of my life / he is standing in the middle of the crowd. Height - we use: low/short, mid-height/middle height/average/medium height, tall/high Age - we use: baby, infant, child, pre-teen, adolescent, teenager, young adult, adult, middle-aged/mid-aged, senior.

e.g middle ages.is it an adjective or not?

"middle" is not an adjective. It is a noun To create an adjective you must say "in the middle of".