3.4.
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Invariables |
The occurrences
of the variable grammatical classes like the nouns, pronouns, numerals
and verbs along with their grammatical categories were discussed in
the preceding sections. It was also stated then that a clear
distinction between morphological vs. syntactical construction was not
always possible. And therefore this analysis has more of a functional
basis. In view of it, in addition to the invariables proper like :
adjectives including demonstrative adjectives, adverbs, intensifiers,
particles and postpositions that occur in this language, a
noun/pronoun having case relationship, whether expressed through case
suffixes or post positions1 that occur in the
slots of the adjective/or adverb are also treated functionally as
adjective or adverb. Therefore the adjectives/adverbs in this language
are sub-divided primarily into two, viz., (i) adjectives/adverbs
proper and (ii) functional adjectives/adverbs. Beginning with the
adjectives, a description of the different invariables along with
their form classes follows.
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3.4.1.
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Adjectives: |
An adjectives
was defined (vide 3.1) as belonging to that grammatical class which on
the syntagmatic axis can function as the nucleus of an adjective
phrase and/or functions as a satellite only in a noun phrase. The
first part of this definition, viz., the ability to function as the
nucleus of an adjective phrase applies only to adjectives proper and
not to the functional adjectives derived from a noun/pronoun/numeral.
A functional adjective dervied from a verb, i.e., a participial form
of a verb, would however, take the attributes that a verb of that
class takes, as in :
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dowra lora
‘the boy who runs’
joldi2 dowra lora ‘the boy who is running
quickly’
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(i) Adjectives
proper :
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The adjectives
proper in this language can be sub-grouped primarily into two, viz.,
quantifiers and qualifiers. The criterion for this sub-grouping is
based on the ability or inability of an adjective occurring with a
numeral in a noun phrase, i.e., whereas a numeral can occur with a
qualitative adjective, it cannot occur with a quantifier, as in :
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Qualifiers :
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da or
‘big’
duy daor gor ‘two big houses’
bas
‘good’
tini bal suali ‘three good girls’, etc.
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| 1The
occurrences of the postpositions with the nouns/pronouns were
discussed in the section on case relationship and as such would not be
repeated here.
2Joldi lora is not permissible for a fast / quick
boy.
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Quantifiers:
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b hut
‘many’
bhut suali jabo
‘many good girls will go’
olop suali jabo ‘few
girls will go’
*duy olop suali jabo ‘two few girls will go’, etc.
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(ii) Functional
adjectives:
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As mentioned
earlier, in addition to the adjectives proper, members of a few other
grammatical classes also occur in the slots of the adjectives, thus
becoming functional adjectives. The functional adjective in this
language belong basically to three different grammatical classes,
viz., (i) a non/pronoun having genitive relationship, (ii) a numeral
and (iii) the partipcipal form of a verb. A brief discussion of each
of these follows:
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(a) A
noun/pronoun having the genitive relationship :
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A noun/pronoun
having the genitive relationship with another noun can form an
endocentric construction with the nucleus noun to form a noun phrase.
Since there is no separate genitive marker in this language, the
uninflected form of a noun/pronoun is preposed to the nucleus, as in :
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tay gor
‘his/her house’
suali gor
‘the girl’s house’
suali baba ‘the girl’s
father’
heytu suali baba ‘that girl’s father’, etc.
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(b) Numeral :
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Both ordinal and
the uninflected form of the cardinal numerals can form endocentric
constructions with a noun to form a NP. In this respect, the numeral
is indistinguishable from the adjectives proper. However, when a
adjective proper and a numeral occur in a NP, the numeral is usually
preposed to the adjective proper, but when a NP consists only of a
numeral and a noun, the numeral may be pre or postposed to the noun
head, as in :
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duy suali
‘two girls’
duytor suali ‘the second girl’
duyta bal suali ‘two good girls’
suali duyta1 ‘two girls’
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Assamese, the
source language, does not permit a construction of this nature. This
seems to a partial influence of the Naga languages, where NP®N+adj+
numeral, for instance from Sema : (Sreedhar 1980 : 144).
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kaku kiwi
‘good book’
ilimi kiwi ‘good girl’
kaku kiwi kini ‘two good books’
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In view of this,
in Naga ‘languages, the plural marker forms part of the NP, the last
modifier taking the plural marker, if necessary.
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