Laefêvëši/Adjectives
Adjectives in Laefêvëši are divided into three groups, each one expressing a different idea. They also decline for several cases and have different forms according to the number of the noun they modify. The gradation of adjectives has several forms and two types.
Types of adjectives
Three groups:
- Qualitative adjectives express quality
- Relational adjectives express relation
- Possessive adjectives express possession.
Declensions
There are two types of declensions, long and short declension.
Long declension
| Adjectival long declension | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | |||||||||
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
| Closed | Open | Closed | Open | Closed | Open | ||||
| Qualitative | -isi | -is- | -ise | -iss- | -isa | -iss- | |||
| Relational | -ili | -il- | -ile | -ill- | -ila | -ill- | |||
| Possessive | -iri | -ir- | -ire | -inn- | -ira | -inn- | |||
| Indefinite | Definite | ||||||||
| Nom. | -/ | -/ | |||||||
| Gen. | -te | -tja | |||||||
| Dat. | -wa | -vja | |||||||
| Acc. | -la | -lja | |||||||
| Loc. | -ka | -kja | |||||||
| Inst. | -se | -sja | |||||||
Short declension
| Adjectival short declension | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ending | |||||||||
| Qualitative | -i- | ||||||||
| Relational | -e- | ||||||||
| Possessive | -u- | ||||||||
| Number | |||||||||
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |||||||
| Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | ||||
| Nom. | -/ | -/ | -/ | -/ | -/ | -/ | |||
| Gen. | -tto | -ttoi | -tte | -ttei | -tta | -ttai | |||
| Dat. | -nno | -nnoi | -nne | -nnei | -nna | -nnai | |||
| Acc. | -llo | -lloi | -lle | -llei | -lla | -nnai | |||
| Loc. | -kko | -kkoi | -kke | -kkei | -kka | -kkai | |||
| Inst. | -sso | -ssoi | -sse | -ssei | -ssa | -ssai | |||
Gradation of adjectives
Degrees of comparison
It's formed by adding suffixes to the adjective. Only qualitative adjectives are gradable.
| Degrees of comparison | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive (more/most) | Negative (less/least) | ||||||||||
| Degree | Suffix | Example | Degree | Suffix | Example | ||||||
| Singular | Dual | Plural | Open | Singular | Dual | Plural | Open | ||||
| Base | -isi | -ise | -isa | -is(s)- | wárisi (big) | Base | -isi | -ise | -isa | -is(s)- | wárisi (big) |
| Comparative | -iski | -iske | -iska | -isk- | wáriski (bigger) | Comparative | -ikni | -ikne | -ikna | -ikn- | wárikni (less big) |
| Superlative | -hki | -ihke | ihka | -ihk- | wárihki (biggest) | Superlative | -ihvi | -ihve | -ihva | -ihv- | wárihvi (least big) |
The open forms are used with subcases and additional cases; the declensional pattern used is that of the Class I nouns.
Other degrees
There are other types of adjectival gradation. They are either formed the same way as the degrees of comparison (suffixes) or by prefixes.
| Adjectival gradation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Degree/ Meaning |
Adfix | Example | ||||
| Singular | Dual | Plural | Open | |||
| Base | -isi | -ise | -isa | -is(s)- | wárisi (big) | |
| that/so | -ikki | -ikke | -ikka | -ikk- | wárikki (that/so big) | |
| quite/pretty | -ihhi | -ihhe | -ihha | -ihh- | wárihhi (quite/pretty big) | |
| very | -iggi | -igge | -igga | -igg- | wáriggi (very big) | |
| too | -itli | -itle | -itle | -itl- | wáritli (too big) | |
| lie- | lie- | lie- | / | liewárisi (too big) | ||