Part of speech

I’d say these words are adjectives to describe the pearls.

They are adjectives. The author put them after the noun to make the sentence more poetic. It is artistic license; breaking normal grammar patterns for effect.

They are adjectives, but they don't describe the pearls, they describe the dead worms or other irritant that caused the pearl to be made in the first place.

Could be, Izzy.

Then these words would describe “how” the worms “remain.”

Adjectives can acts as adverbs, too.

If they were adverbs describing how the worms remain they would be minutely, translucently, and ethereally.

I'm sorry but this time you're wrong. Arguing the toss just confuses the OP.

Which .... ethereal.
Is an adjective clause modifying the subject of the independent clause

Pearls
which /remain entombed
(How)?
Minute
Translucent
Ethereal
At> center

Hiw would you parse this clause?

I think you need to talk to someone about your inability to admit to being wrong.

Here is the sentence in full.

Pearls, it turns out, long the gem of the uncommonly wealthy, are often the products of dead worms, which remain entombed at the center of natural pearls, minute, translucent, and ethereal.


When you remove the following clause, which is separated by commas from the rest of the sentence,

which remain entombed at the center of natural pearls,

you get this.

Pearls, it turns out, long the gem of the uncommonly wealthy, are often the products of dead worms, minute, translucent, and ethereal.

Therefore the adjectives refer to the dead worms.

I'm not going to discuss this any more but I think you should talk to someone.

Can’t you have a discussion about something as simple as parts of speech without personally attacking someone?

I mean really - I need “help” because I feel some words modify a certain word and you don’t agree with that?

I’d hate to see you react to a real life problem!

This thread is awfully fun to read. The original sentence is an example of a dangling modifier. It is poorly written which is why it is ambiguous.

Seeing you two argue is far more interesting than the grammar involved. I am rather enjoying it.

Izzy, who is certainly no friend of mine (and therefore I am not just backing up a "buddy"), is absolutely correct--those adjectives modify "dead worms," which is not a matter for discussion. It's a fact, and not an opinion. This is just another example of why I so often say that you have no business responding to ESL/EFL questions

And here I was.... thinking this thread could get any funnier.

Absolutism and nasty attacks over a part of speech in a poorly written sentence about worms (or about pearls if you side with Punkey)-- this is awesome! I will take bets; who is going to be the first to call the other a Nazi?

I wonder where Glitterbag is?

Dead Worm

Ooh-ooh
Hey, hey, my-my-my-my
Dead worm, precious little germ
Let me put you up where you belong
Dead worm, precious little germ
You've been in the background much too long