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Adjectival comparatives like txiki baino txikiago 'smaller than small' in Basque exhibit some striking properties that present a challenge for previous analyses of inequality comparatives. The research on this unstudied type of adjectival comparatives in Basque -- henceforth SMALL comparatives -- is especially interesting due to the rich morphology and freedom of word order that Basque displays. These two properties are vital for the testing of the hypotheses on the structure of these comparatives. First, the examination of the underlying structure of the standard of comparison reveals that these adjectival modifiers are inequality comparatives with a phrasal standard. Second, the study of the extraction constraints of the standard and the particular distribution of SMALL comparatives evidence the fact that the standard marker in these comparatives behaves as a coordinating conjunction, and that these modifiers can appear inside a Determiner Phrase, in contrast with previously analysed adjectival comparatives. These properties are explained by assuming the functional analysis of adjectives and comparative markers (-ago '-er, more'), and proposing a coordination analysis of these phrasal comparatives. The study of SMALL comparatives hence shows that the coordination analysis of comparative structures is necessary not only for clausal comparatives (Napoli & Nespor 1986 for Italian; Sáez 1992 for Spanish; and Lechner 2004 for English and German) but also for phrasal comparatives such as SMALL comparatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within minimalism, we may assume derivations to involve subderivations, connected by the interface components dealing with sound and meaning (layered derivations). If so, complex adjectival constructions involving predicates like tough/easy (as in John is easy to please) receive a natural account in terms of re- analysis taking place at these interface components, turning a complex adjectival construction into a simplex adjective which can be merged in predicative or attributive position in the next derivation layer. Arguments against reanalysis address earlier, more complicated conceptions of reanalysis, and fail to distinguish plain and expanded tough-constructions, the latter not showing any reanalysis characteristics. In a layered-derivation cum reanalysis approach, the arguments for empty operator movement in the embedded infinitival clause disappear, and the reanalysed construction shows the properties of an adjectival passive instead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the article is to present the use of the comma with the incidental clauses which in Spanish are distinguished by their function in explicativas and especificativas. Considering syntactic constructions such as nominal appositions or adjectival subordinate clauses, the basic rules of punctuation established for these structures in both languages have been set out. Besides of the analogues uses of the comma, the oppositeor different uses of the comma have been also distinguished and they can be a source of incorrect spelling, due to the negative interference by the Polish language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study analyses the semantics of English deontic adjectives like essential and appropriate, and uses this to refine traditional definitions of deontic modality, which are mainly based on the study of modal verbs. In a first step, it is shown that the set of meanings associated with deontic adjectives is quite different from the set of meanings identified in the literature on modal verbs. Adjectives lack the directive meanings of obligation or permission, which are traditionally regarded as the core deontic categories, and they have semantic extensions towards non-modal meanings in the evaluative domain. In a second step, the analysis of adjectives is used to propose an alternative definition of deontic modality, which covers both the meanings of verbs and adjectives, and which can deal with the different extensions towards modal and non-modal categories. This is integrated into a conceptual map, which works both in diachrony – defining pathways of change – and in synchrony – accommodating refinements within each set of meanings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to traditional descriptive grammars, Spanish medio ('half') is a variable category. It can be a noun (medio de vida), a numeral adjective (quantifier) (media docena), or an unstressed adverb (estaba medio cansado). However, medio takes an invariable form as an adverb in standard Spanish (estaba medio cansada). Making the adverb medio agree with the adjective it modifies (estaba *media cansada) is considered nonstandard. Numerous cases are attested where the adverb medio agrees, as though it were an adjective, with the noun or the adjective which it modifies. This process, known as 'recategorization' implies that an element is interpreted as belonging to one category (i.e. adjective) in some varieties and as part of another (here, adverb) in other varieties. The 'adjectivization' of medio is widely considered to be characteristic of Latin American Spanish varieties, but it is believed to be rare in Iberian Spanish. In this study I use unpublished dialect data from the ALPI (Atlas Lingüístico de la Península Ibérica) to examine the precise geographical area of the phenomenon in Peninsular Spanish. These data clearly show that the distribution of this phenomenon is much wider than previously claimed, since it is attested not only in the Galician area but also in Leonese and in Andalusian, the latter being the probable source for the transfer of the phenomenon to Latin American Spanish. We also use historical and contemporary data from both Peninsular and Latin American texts (Corpus del español) to analyse some specific cases of adverbial medio with and without agreement (medio/media tonta), and to study the semantic interpretations associated with each variant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines adjectival reduplication in Chinese which is contrasted with determiner doubling in Germanic. It shows that two superficially different phenomena in two genetically unrelated languages are sensitive to similar properties. Both environments support an analysis of adjectives in terms of restrictive relative clauses and strengthen the case for decomposing the adjective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two participles referred to in the title (one a perfective, the other aspectually unmarked) occur as complements of finite verbs, as if they were nominals. At the same time, they still betray their verbal origin by having nominal complements themselves. Also, they are used as modifiers within the Carib noun phrase, as if they were adjectives. Because these two nonfinite verbs thus share parts of their systems with nouns, with verbs, and with adjectives. [ prefer to call them by the traditional name of "participle" and to eschew the term "nominalization"--even though the latter is widely accepted (see Carlin 2004:351, Derbyshire 1985:38, Gildea 1998:123. and Meira 1999:565). This paper has a double purpose, One is purely descriptive. Cariban linguistics needs careful and detailed descriptions of the complex sentence in all of the family's languages, and I considered it my duty to do my part for Carib (Gildea [forthcoming:sec. 5]). Second, close attention to descriptive detail unavoidably forced me into a modicum of theoretical discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper describes attribution in Old Babylonian. The principles drawn upon are the traditional view of Akkadian syntax, modern Semitic syntax, and the principles of European structuralism. Bringing all these together, while exemplifying and proving previous unexplained statements by using Old Babylonian material, renders the whole issue tangible for every linguistically-oriented reader. ?asyntagms are described, each component separately, as a pronominal construct nucleus with an attribute; this attribute is either a nominal or a clause. ?asyntagms, being appositive to a referent substantive (when occurring), are in the same paradigm with adjectives, which are shown to have the same components as ?asyntagms: a pronominal nucleus, an attribute and the attributive link between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the unified account of the cross-linguistic variation in the encoding of adjectives in prediative and attributive constructions using a unified optimality theoretic account. Accordingly, languages might be dissimilar in the encoding strategy of adjectives in the predicative domain, and there are instances that the strategy could be changed in the attributive domain. The interaction on faithfulness to the semantic class of a lexical root, and the faithfulness to discourse functions is also discussed in details.

In this article, I study the way property concepts such as 'big', 'red', 'high', etc., are lexically treated in Otomi, an Otomanguean language from Central Mexico. I show in detail that such concepts are not encoded as adjectives but rather as verbs and nouns.Lexemes denoting such concepts also occur in an interesting type of nominal compound.The present analysis is based on the dialect of San Ildefonso Tultepec Otomi,but the claims made can be extended to other Otomi variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the use of complex adjectival constructions in various registers and modes of communication in Bulgaria. Findings of an examination of relative clause use in Bulgarian data in written versus oral communication and in more formal versus less formal contexts; Special types of relative clauses; Percentages of relative clauses with dual topics.

The category membership of words expressing adjectival meanings (Descriptives) in Macro-Jê languages has been a topic of recent interest and dispute among researchers. While there is agreement about the absence of Adjective as a word class, there is disagreement on whether Descriptives should be analyzed as a subclass of Nouns or Verbs, since Descriptives share features with both. This study devises a set of internal criteria for establishing the category membership of Descriptives in Apinajé (Jé family). Morphosyntactic properties common to Nouns, Verbs, and Descriptives are explored first, showing that valid arguments can be made in favor of alternative analyses of Descriptives, or against a categorical distinction between Nouns and Verbs. Against this background, further syntactic constructions, such as relativization and imperatives, are introduced; these support a categorical distinction between Nouns and Verbs, and lead to the conclusion that Descriptives do constitute a subclass of Verbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the similarity of the Egyptian and Arabic indirect adjectival verb forms. Definitions of agent-less, indirect, adjectival verb from in Egyptian; Limitations of Late Egyptian; Indepth look at indirect adjectival verb forms in Arabic.