|
3.3.9.6.
|
Degree of Comparison |
There
is no comparative degree expressed with ‘adjectives’. See
the section ‘comparison’ under the verb. The superlative
is however marked by partial reduplication followed by li
with attributive or nominalized deverbal adjectives.
|
| 596
|
1. |
ni kajüjü-li-na-koe |
‘you (sg.) are the biggest’ |
| |
|
|
|
| |
2. |
isü pfoki atokrukru-
|
‘Isü is the biggest hill’ |
| |
|
li-na-koe |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
3. |
losa-hi nie o
mamüi |
‘Losa is the most beautiful female’ |
| |
|
kazhüzhü-lina-koe |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
4. |
hinahi osü ho madidi-
|
‘this is the most green leaf’ |
| |
|
li-na-koe |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
5. |
hikhruhi larübvü |
‘these are the best books’ |
| |
|
kazhüzhü-li-na-koe |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
6. |
pfokrehrü pfoo
osa |
‘Pfokrehrü is thetallest boy’ |
| |
|
kososo-li-na-koe |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
7. |
kaikho pfoo
kokhrokhro-li-na-koe |
‘ ? ‘ |
| |
|
|
|
| |
8.
|
raho hinahi kakrakra- |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
li-na-koe |
‘this bird is the whitest’ |
| |
|
|
|
| |
9. |
barak-hi korü osa |
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
kososo-li-na-koe |
‘Barak is the longest river’ |
|
3.3.9.7.
|
The Relative Participial
Construction |
| The
relative construction is a morphological structure in Mao
Naga, which means that there are no restrictive as formally
opposed to nonrestrictive or appositive constructions. The
relative construction is formed by prefixing the phonologically
conditioned ka-/ko- in the case of monosyllabic
verb roots and by prefixing a- in the case of disyllabic
verb roots. When it is tensed, however, the marker is exclusively
-ko except when formal unmarkedness signals present
tense. There are two types of relative construction defined
in terms of surface-syntactic status. |
|
a.
|
Nominalised
participles which are full-fledged nouns and b. Adnominal
participles which are relative constructions subordinate
to head nouns in a modifier-modified relationship. |
Nominal(ized) Participles
|
Morphologically,
nominal(ized) participles, relative constructions with no
lexical head nouns, also called ‘participial nouns’ or ‘headless
relatives’ are typically formed by suffixing to the (singular)
number-gender makers -o, -na and püi or the dual
number marker -hi)
or -ta, the exclusive plurality marker and -khru,
the inclusive-plurality marker, or -müi the agentive
suffix. It is to be noted that the number-gender markers
viz. -na and -püi which elsewhere are
unilaterally dependent on individuators could occur independently
of individuators in headless relatives. -hi)
and -khru however, continue to be structurally
dependent on individuators. Note that the number-gender
markers and number markers acquire a nominalizing function:
|
|
597 |
1. |
ayi1
modo ka-pio2
vu-ie3
|
| |
|
the one (masc. sg.)
who taught2 me1
has come3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
2. |
ayi1
modo ka-pi-na2
vu-ie3
|
| |
|
the one (masc. sg.)
who taught2 me1
has come3 |
| |
|
|
|
|
3. |
ayi1
modo ka-pi-püi2
vu-ie3
|
| |
|
the one (fem. sg.)
who taught2 me1
has come3 |
|
| |
| |
{
i
}2 |
|
|
4. |
ayi1
modo ka-pi-hĩ- { sü
} |
vu-ie3 |
| |
{
*O } |
|
| |
‘the
ones (du) who taught2
|
me1
have come3
|
|
