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I'm looking for a grammar rule here with regards to a non-essential clause that is in the same place as an adjective and acting like a 2nd adjective. In a simple sentence, the 2nd adjective rule is clear:

(1) He was a tired, angry man.

But what to do in a complex sentence, when a 2nd adjective becomes a whole clause. Is it just like the simple sentence and without the comma:

(2)The political background of capitalism is a distinct, although not often explicitly and sharply defined identity among commercial movements in Europe.

Or does it get treated like a non-restrictive clause with a 2nd comma:

(3) The political background of capitalism is a distinct, although not often explicitly and sharply defined, identity among commercial movements in Europe.

I feel like the connection between defined and identity is quite strong, thus making this non-optional, in the same way angry and man is not optional.

(4) He was a tired, angry, man.

To me the above sentence is clearly wrong, so why is a comma not wrong in #3?

Help appreciated.

freeform23
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    The element although not often explicitly and sharply defined is an *optional / parenthetical* clause, which could in some circumstances (specifically, when short enough) be written without any delineating commas. But otherwise it must be set off in a *matching pair* of commas. – FumbleFingers Mar 19 '18 at 13:43
  • 'In a simple sentence, the 2nd adjective rule is clear' ... Really? He was a tired, angry man BUT He has a little brown dog. // I don't really like the two-comma choice here either (though it's not incorrect). But the single-comma option is incorrect. I'd use two dashes. And 'though' instead of 'although'. – Edwin Ashworth Mar 19 '18 at 14:19
  • (3) is reasonably acceptable, though the PP supplement is rather long. (1) and (4) have the same meaning (though the second comma in (4) is not necessary). In both cases "man" is modified by a coordination of adjectives to give the meaning "a man who is both tired and angry". – BillJ Mar 19 '18 at 15:41
  • Even if "The political background of capitalism is a distinct, although not often explicitly and sharply defined identity among commercial movements in Europe" can you - or d'you know anione who could - translate that into something meaningful in English, or any other language? – Robbie Goodwin Mar 20 '18 at 22:33

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