In Naucan, adjective phrases—comprising an adjective and any modifiers— usually follow the noun they modify and agree with it in case. They can serve three main functions:
Noun complement (within a noun phrase)
tapi yokh — “the tall boy”
Attribute (with a copular verb)
Sām tapi yokhkē .— “The boy is tall.”
Predicative complement (modifying a verb)
Kasam tapi saruk. — “The boy lives happily.”
An adjective phrase can consist of:
A single adjective:
→ tapi phira = the strong boy
An adjective + adverb modifier:
→ tapi phira tis = the very strong boy
An adjective + prepositional phrase:
→ tapi phira ten krepēn = the strong-bodied boy
Multiple adjectives combined with a (and):
→ tapi phira a ber = the strong and good boy
Adverbs like tane (more), tis (very) commonly modify adjectives.
→ tapi dime tane = the smaller boy
→ kami gome tis = the very soft paper
Prepositional phrases can also function as modifiers.
→ thōre wen thro ethawn = the bad mountain during the night
Multiple modifiers may co-occur within a noun phrase, and they follow a fixed order: descriptive adjectives precede quantifiers, which in turn precede possessive and demonstrative modifiers. Possessive adjectives always come before demonstratives, and demonstratives always appear last. The conjunction a ‘and’ may be used to coordinate descriptive adjectives, but is not used between quantifiers, possessives, or demonstratives.
awto ārsa nathe — “my old car”
The linear hierarchy of modifiers within a Naucan noun phrase is strictly ordered as follows:
Descriptive Adjectives > Quantifiers > Possessives > Demonstratives