5 - The adjective

5) The Adjective

A) Characteristics

* The adjective is invariable; it does not agree with the noun

* The attributive adjective is always placed before the noun

Notes * The adjective is placed after the noun when it is followed by a complement

Ex: U polen vas a full glass U vas polen ki vin A glass full of wine

U vas polen ki vin

* The adjective is placed after an indefinite pronoun

Ex: Nit alten nothing else ekwa novi something new Nekia alten nowhere else

Forms * Adjectives can either be root-words, or derivative adjectives,

or compound adjectives

1) Root-Adjectives

2) Derivative Adjectives

* An adjective can be formed with any noun by adding the mark -i (-u) (of the genitive)

* Adverb + -i

* Noun or Adjective + -ic (expresses tendency, rather)

* Present participle (-an) used as an adjective

* Past participle (-en) used as an adjective

U kluzen dor

* With the prefix: an- (un-) used form the opposite adjectives

3) Compound adjectives

* Adjective (or noun in the genitive) + adjective

* Adjective, adverb or noun + present participle

* Adjective, adverb or noun + past participle

* Adjective or noun + noun + -i (or -en)

B) Comparative and Superlatives

1) The Comparative a) Greater degree: MAJ…TE = more…than

…ES TE = …er than

U sikel se min speli te u vag

b) Lesser degree : MIN…TE = less… than, no so… as

c) Similar degree : OS…TE = as… as

Lesser degree : NE OS…TE

Ex: Odia s’ne os frij te jesta Today, it is not so cold as yesterday

2) The Superlative a) Greater degree: DE MAJ…OD (or in = place) = the most

Ex

Vark se min prijan te jeg

U sikel se min speli te u vag

Jana s’os seni te Paul

Wajim, de nove sì os pej te nu frajì

Working is not so pleasant as playing

A bike is not so fast as a car

Jane is as old as Paul

Unfortunately, the news were as bad as we feared

The superlative of greater degree can also be formed by adding the ending -es to the adjective

b) Lesser degree: DE MIN…OD (in) = the least…

Di vag se de min diari od tale

Note There are no irregular comparatives or superlatives

3) More and more… less and less : MAJ ID MAJ… MIN ID MIN…

Ex

or talvos maj, talvos min…

4) The more… the more… The less… the less : MAJ…MAJ…, MIN…MIN…

I inizì felo ma maj id maj nervos

Je s’min id min lezi findo naturi produte

Findo naturi produte vid talvos maj rari,

talvos min lezi

Finding natural produce is becoming rarer and

rarer, less and less easy

I was beginning to feel more and more nervous

It is less and less easy to find natural produce

5) All the more… all the less… : SAMÀJ…TE, SAMÌN…TE

Samàj bun ! Samàj pej ! So much the better ! So much the worse !

C) Adjectives used as nouns

Any adjective can be used as a noun

1) Adjectives replacing an abstract noun

Ex: Ideal se maj bel te real The ideal is more beautiful than the real

2) Specific adjectives ending in -i

* Nationality adjectives used for languages

Franci = French (adj) = Franci linga (the French language)

* "Animal" adjectives used to denote the meat

Ex

De bel verem detì ni vake samàj prijan

Hi obfàl se samìn incepli te he kodùt mol bun

I kogonì tri Ruse vokan Engli

Cini se mol maj anlezi te Itali

I met three Russians speaking English

Chinese is much more difficult than Italian

The fine weather made our holiday all the more pleasant

His accident is all the less understandable as he drives very well

Un ovnit

* An adjective ending in -i can be changed into a noun

denoting a person by adding the ending -n /-na

- by adding the ending -an (present participle ) to denote a species

Ex Gal = cock > gali > galian = gallinaceous bird + krepian, koclian, govian = reptile, sea shell, bovine, cattle

- by adding the ending -en (past participe) to denote a subjected state

(CF vuno = to wound > u vunen = a wounded person, karsen = a prisoner, etc…)

Ex Pati = ill, sick > u patien = a patient