Adjective Morphology

class	prefix	semantics	example
descriptive	ve-	describes what the noun is like.	riel vemarlis beautiful woman
purposive	pa-	describes what the noun is used for	tornil pamurmlir sleeping bag
material	ge-	describes what the noun is made from	teleg galdar wooden leg
size	ma--	describes how big or small the noun is.	caras mabeleg large house
color	de-	describes the color of the noun	curunar demith gray wizard
shape	ta-	describes the shape of the noun	palag tacom round table
count	be-	describes how many of the noun	lhibai becaer ten fingers
age	la-	describes how old the noun is	cair lorseinnon ancient ship
origin	ha-	decribes where something comes from	sinair harhun eastern manners

10.1.1 descriptive adjectives

i rîel vemarlis
The beautiful woman

i   riel  ve-   marlis.
          DESC:       .
The woman like  beauty.

10.1.2 purposive adjectives

asaldril parist
cutting board

asaldril pa-  rist   .
         PURP:       .
board    for  cutting.

10.1.3 size adjectives

i risthel mabeleg
The large knife

i   risthel ma-  beleg.
            SIZE:     .
The knife   size large.

10.1.4 color adjectives

i gair demor
The black ship

i   gair de-     mor  .
         COLOR:       .
The ship colored black.

10.1.5 age adjectives

i sirdhar lorsëirron
The ancient river

i   sirdhar la- orseirron.
            AGE:         .
The river   age ancient  .

10.1.6 count adjectives

in sildain bebeleg
The many boys

in  sildain be-    beleg.
            COUNT:      .
The boys    count  many .

10.1.7 origin adjectives

i fadh haforod
The north wind

i   fadh ha-  forod.
         ORG:      .
The wind from north.

10.1.8 material adjectives

ir antharon galdar
The wooden pole

ir  antharon ge-     aldar.
             MAT:         .
The pole     made of wood .

NOTE: galdar < ge-aldar literally means "made of tree", but has been lexicalized as the adjective "of wood" or "wooden".

10.1.9 shape adjectives

i garil tacom
The round hat

i   garil ta-    com  .
          SHAPE:      .
The hat   shaped round.

10.2 adjective distribution

As in English, adjectives may be attributive adjectives, i.e. those that directly modify the noun or predicate adjectives, i.e. those that form a predicate construction.

10.2.1 attributive adjectives

Attributive Adjectives follow the noun that they modify.

i gurunaran demith
The Gray Wizard

i   gurunaran de- mith.
              ADJ     .
The wizard    gray    .

Predicate Adjectives also follow the noun, but the adjectival prefix detaches from the adjective and is placed at the end of the adjective phrase. In this position, the adjectival particle takes auxiliary verb inflections.

10.2.2.1 tense/aspect

gurunaran mith das
The wizard is gray.

i   gurunaran mith de-     -0   -as  .
                   AP:     :DEF :PRES.
the wizard    gray colored is        .

10.2.2.2 semantic aspectuals

i vastmëar arun vecorîeth
The soup is hot.
(it is hot relative to some norm)

i   vastmear arun ve-  -cor -i    -eth .
                  AP:  :REL :PERF :PAST.
the soup     hot  like  is             .

10.2.2.3 mood

vastmëar arun varîeth
The soup may be hot.
(it is possible that it is hot)

i   vastmear arun ve-  ar-   -i    -eth .
                  AP:  SPEC: :PERF :PAST.
the soup     hot  like may   be         .

10.2.2.4 polarity

i gurunaran mith udas
The wizard is not gray.

i   gurunaran mith  u-   de-     -as  .
                    NEG: AP:     :PRES.
the wizard    gray  not  colored is   .

10.3 adjective phrases

Although NPs containing multiple adjectives are rare in the spoken language, they can be formed using conjoined adjectives, thus:

i gurlavan debaran
The brown fox

i gurlavan velim
The quick fox

i gurlavan debaran na lim vas 
The quick, brown fox
(lit. the brown fox is quick)

i gurlavan debaran na velim na orneth las
The old, quick, brown fox
(lit. the brown and quick fox is old)

Note: an alternative form of the second example has been attested in some dialects, i.e.

i gurlavan debaran na velim
the quick, brown fox
(lit the brown and quick fox)

This form, however, is always limited to two adjective modifiers and one would never hear an alternate of the third example above. i.e.

*i gurlavan debaran na velim na lorneth
the old, quick, brown fox
(lit. the brown and quick and old fox)

10.4 adjective degree

Adjective degree is specified using a degree particle that follows the adjective.

degree	particle
positive	-
equative	amos
comparative	amol
superlative	amon

10.4.1 positive

eni galdránne caril mabeleg cummilarth
Galdor wore a big hat.

(elieth) eni galdranne caril 0   mabeleg cummilarth.
did          Galdor    hat   POS big     wear      .

10.4.2 equative

The equative is formed by following the adjective with the degree particle amos. The adjective may in turn be preceded by the standard of comparison, which is expressed in the genitive case.

enir ægnoranne caril galdrannîon mabeleg amos cummilarth
ægnoran wore a hat as big as Galdor"s (hat)

(elieth) enir ægnoranne caril galdran -ion mabeleg amos cumilarth.
                                      :GEN         EQU           .
did           ægnor     hat   Galdor  "s   big     as   wear     .

10.4.3 comparative

The comparative is formed by following the adjective with the degree particle amol. The adjective may in turn be preceded by the standard of comparison, which is expressed in the genitive case.

enir ægnoranne caril galdrannîon mabeleg amol cummilarth
ægnoran wore a bigger hat than Galdor

(elieth) eni ægnoranne caril galdran -ion mabeleg amol     cumilarth.
                                     :GEN         COMP              .
did          ægnor     hat   Galdor  "s   big     -er than wear     .

10.4.4 superlative

The superlative is formed by following the adjective with the degree particle amon. The resulting phrase is pronounced as one word with the accent on amon.

eni luthîelle caril mabeleg amon cummilarth
Luthiel wore the biggest hat

(elieth) eni luthielle caril mabeleg amon  cummilarth.
                                     SUPER           .
did          Luthiel   hat   big     -est  wear      .

10.5 non-numeric quantifiers

Non-numeric quantifiers include the following:

type	quantifier
much,many	dæra
few	orvelga
some	risa
a lot of	shumra
all	oma
other	varvina
both	ompedla
none	oroma
several	tanda
more	olta
most	ûaina

The Pages of The Gray Wizard

10.0 adjective morphology (bethfennar inaglarveth)

10.1 adjective classes