Between the pajü group and the kopro group,
there is no difference in referential meaning. Only, pajü
could be made more forceful in terms of the phonetic-symbolism
of greater length or higher tone on the first syllable of
pajü.
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3.3.9.
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The
Adjective |
| The
omnibus class of ‘noun attribute’ comprises genitivals,
numerals, demonstratives, prenominal verbal participles,
postnominal derived adjectives, nouns functioning as noun
attributes of material and verb roots functioning as noun
attributes. This section focuses on the latter three which
together with the prenominal relative participle constitute
a distinctive notional class in that its members either
objectively define, describe, depict or subjectively evaluate
the referent of the head noun per se. The (prenominal) relative
participle (and the participial noun) are dealt with in
a separate section at the end. |
3.3.9.1.
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The derived Adjective |
| The derived
adjective has two subclasses : (a) the deverbal adjective
and (b) the deadverbial adjective. |
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(a)
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The deverbal Adjective |
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A typical Mao Naga adjective is a deverbal
adjective, the adjective which is derived from the verb
root. This is far away a=the largest class. It subdivides
into two subclasses depending on whether the adjectivizer
is (a) a- or (b) ka-/ko. a-
adjectivizes disyllabic verbs (and adverbs under the second
class of derived adjectives ; adverbs subject to adjectivization
are derived and necessarily disyllabic). Among monosyllabic
verbs, the adjectivizer is ka- if the verb has
a nonback vowel except when the nonback vowel follows
a liquid. The adjectivizing prefix is ko- elsewhere.
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(a) |
569. |
1. |
make |
‘be
cold’ |
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odzü
a-make |
‘cold
water’ |
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2. |
tokru
|
‘be high’ |
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pfoki
a-tokru |
‘high
mountain’ |
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3. |
cüno
|
‘be low
in height’ |
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obu
a-cüno |
‘low
place’ |
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4. |
cüpfo
|
‘be thin’ |
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larü
a-cüpfo |
‘thin
paper’ |
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5. |
molo
|
‘be easy’ |
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ovo
a-molo |
‘easy
work’ |
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6. |
mosü
|
‘be heavy’ |
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oro
a-mosü |
‘heavy
basket’ |
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7. |
tacü
|
‘be difficult’ |
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ovo
a-tacü |
‘difficult
work’ |
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8. |
(omu)
mala |
‘be cheap’ |
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ovu
pro a-mala |
‘cheap
vegetable’ |
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9. |
no hiu |
‘be
clean’ |
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ocü
a-nohiu
|
‘clean
house’ |
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10. |
maha
|
‘be light’ |
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oro
a-maha
|
‘light
basket’ |
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11. |
mara
|
‘be crazed,
mad’ |
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pfoo
a-mara |
‘mad male/boy’ |
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12. |
hoh |
‘be foolish,
mentally deficient’ |
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pfoo
a-hoh |
‘mentally
deficient, foolish male/boy’ |
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13. |
caki
|
‘be clever’ |
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nieo
a-caki |
‘clever’ |
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14. |
cicu
|
‘be true’ |
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oko
a-cicu |
‘true
story’ |
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15. |
mada
|
‘be false’ |
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oko
a-mada |
‘false
news’ |
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(b) |
570 |
1. |
mamüi
zhü |
‘be comely,
good-looking’ |
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nieo
mamüi ka-zhü |
‘comely
female’ |
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2. |
kha
|
‘be bitter’ |
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opro
ka-kha |
‘bitter
medicine’ |
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