:: CIIL Grammars ::

Download Angami Book


5.2 Degree of Comparison

The particle of comparison is k added to the noun that the subject is being compared with. The comparative degree is marked by suffixing ku only to the verb and not to the verbal participle. Since the comparative particle k makes it clear that a comparison is intended, ku the comparative degree marker in the verb is often dropped.
Thus,
pu¹ ² k³ rkri⁴ ‘He¹ is tall⁴-er than³ me²’ lsd¹ h² l³ k⁴ v⁵ ‘This² book¹ is better⁵than⁴ that³’ or ‘This is better book than that’ kwhr¹ klktt² k³ rn⁴ ms⁵ ‘Kohima¹ is(a) cleaner⁵ city⁴ than³ Calcutta²’
When the noun with which the subject is compared is absent, ku is obligatorily present.

pu¹ vku² ty³ ‘He¹ will be³ better²’ k¹ h² vku³ ‘This² house¹ is better³’ pu¹ zv-ku² ‘She¹ is better-looking²’ bli¹ rkriku² ‘Balie¹ is taller²’

The superlative degree is marked by th suffixed to the adjective.

mirh¹ h² kvth³ ‘This² picture¹ is the best³’ srmti¹ nglnd n² ‘Saramati¹ is the highest² mountain³ in Nagaland²’ kjth³ krkrith⁴

Here are some more paradigmatic sets:

v ‘to be good’ kv ‘good’ vku ‘to be better’ - - kvth ‘best’ z ‘to be big’ kz ‘big’ zku ‘to be bigger’ - - kzth ‘biggest’ ch ‘to be long’ kch ‘long’ chku ‘to be longer’ - - kchth ‘longest’ u ‘to be bad’ ku - uku ‘to be worse’ - - kuth ‘worse’ mri ‘to be red’ kmri ‘red’ mrik ‘to be redder’ - kmrith ‘reddest’

5.3 Reduplication of adjectives

The final syllable of some adjectives may be reduplicated to acquire a distributive function like in Dravidian Languages. The reduplicated adjective, then, modifies two or more referents.

kkr ‘different’ kkrkr literally (but banally in English) ‘different, different......) kmhi ‘similar’ kmhimhi ‘similar, similar..........) kz ‘big’ kzz ‘big, big .......) kch ‘long’ kchch ‘long, long...........)

5.4 The Relative Clause

The verbal adjective which is formed by suffixing gender, number or the diminutive suffix as the case may be to the verbal participle functions as the relative clause in Angami.

eg. (1) thmi² kvr¹ ‘The¹ man² who came¹’ (2) thn¹ sd² hktyph³ ‘The girl¹ who will marry³ tomorrow²’ (3) ¹ 2 kny³ ‘The³ boy¹ that³ I² like³’ (4) mz¹ prukt² ‘The² table¹ that broke²’ (5) ¹ thmi² z³ kvni⁴ ‘The two⁴ men² I¹ went⁴ with³’ (6) pn1 s² ³ hklik⁴ ‘The three² pens¹ that⁴ I³ got⁴’ (7) mth¹ ² khrkli³ ‘The³ cow¹ that³ I² bought³’


		Previous	\|	Next			Top

Angami Index Page

FeedBack | Contact Us | Home