User:Najahho/High Valyrian Adjectives

Adjectives agree in gender, case and number (though they don't have paucal or collective forms) with the noun they modify. Their declension is similar to that of nouns, but with a couple differences, and variable gender. As a result they are not arranged into "declensions" as nouns are, rather they are said to be in "classes." The first class distinguishes all four genders, the second and third classes lump them together into two groups.

Adjectives may precede or follow a noun, with the exception of certain determiners and demonstratives, which almost always precede. If such an adjective follows its noun, it gives it a more "official" feel. In some cases this might be done for simple emphasis. When an adjective is "postpositive," that is, when it follows the noun it modifies, it has the complete set of endings. However, when it is "prepositive," meaning it precedes the noun, the endings are shortened and more prone to fall together.

Instrumental/comitative merger

Many High Valyrian declension classes merge the instrumental and comitative (for instance, the second uses the originally comitative -omy for instrumental, and the third uses the original instrumental -oso for the comitative.) When an adjective modifies such a noun, it will adopt the same merger. Thus:

	vala kirine "happy man"	loktys kirine "happy sailor"	issaros kirine "happy person"
Instrumental	valosa kirinose	loktomy kirinome	issaroso kirinose
Comitative	valoma kirinome	loktomy kirinome	issaroso kirinose

Degrees of comparison

The equative, meaning "equally X," or "as X" is formed with an ending like -pa adj. I. For "as X as Y," use the instrumental case:

Sȳndroso lykāpa, myrdomy aderpa, iēdrosa gīdāpa. — "Quiet as a shadow, swift as a deer, calm as still water."

To say "as X a Y as Z" or "as X as Z Y", one can also use hen with the dative (the differences to the usage above are unclear):

Yn kesys tubis hen mirro tubiot sȳrpys issa. — "But today is as good a day as any."

The equative is also used in some appositive constructions, see below.

The comparative, meaning "more X," or "X-er" is formed with an ending like -kta adj. I. For "than" use an instrumental of comparison.

The superlative, meaning "most X," or "X-est" is formed with an ending like -je adj. II.

Note that no matter what class the base noun is, the equative and comparative will always be class I adjectives, and the superlative will always be class II.

Irregular comparison

In most languages there are some adjectives with irregular or suppletive degrees of comparison. Thus far, there is only one High Valyrian adjective known to do this, namely litse "pretty":

• eq. līspa "equally pretty"
• comp. līsta "prettier"
• sup. līje, prettiest.

The equative in apposition

The equative is apparently also called for when an adjective is used in an appositive manner. Our only example so far is Ȳghāpī īlōn rāelza "He holds us safe." Ȳghāpī "safe" is put in the equative because it refers back (or rather forward) to īlōn "us" (note that it is in the same case and number), but does not modify it directly. A good rule of thumb might be to use the equative whenever you have an adjective that could be preceded by a comma and the word "being" in English ("He holds us, being safe"), but we are far from clear on the usage. It is likely that the equative will be used in other constructions as well, perhaps in sentences like "He made things worse."

Adverbs

Adverbs are formed with the suffix -ī. For Class I this is added to the aquatic form (resulting in -irī), for II and III it is added to the solar/lunar (remaining -ī.)

Substantives

Unlike many languages, High Valyrian cannot simply use adjectives as nouns, without first converting them by changing the endings. This form can be called the substantive. There are two types of substantive:

1. Type 1 substantives are lunar or solar in form, and "individuative": they generally refer to something concrete and countable, e.g. dovaogēdy "unsullied," dohaeriros "slave."
2. Type 2 substantives are terrestrial or aquatic in form: they generally refer to something abstract and/or uncountable, or places e.g. gaomilaksir "mission," obūljarion "surrender."

However, DJP stated in an early comment that while this nominalizaton strategy always applies to participles and demonstrative adjectives (e.g. dovaogēda > dovaogēdy, bisa > bisy), other adjectives may also be nominalized by zero-derivation. Presumably this means that the substantive of an adjective such as biare "happy" may be either biare (n. 4lun) or biaros (n. 3sol). Even so, the exact conditions for when this applies are unclear.

Class I

Class I adjectives can generally have stems of any form. The one issue is that they may not end in anything that will create an unacceptable cluster in the oblique aquatic forms.

Kasta -ys -on -or, "blue, green."

Prepositive

	Singular				Plural
	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic
Nom.	kasta	kastys	kaston	kastor	kasti	kastys, -yz	kasta	kastra
Acc.	kaste	kasti	kaston	kastor	kastī	kastī	kasta	kastra
Gen.	kasto	kasto	kasto	kastro	kasto(t)	kasto	kasto	kastro
Dat.	kasto(t)	kasto(t)	kasto(t)	kastro(t)	kasto	kasto	kasto	kastro
Loc.	kastā	kastȳ	kasto(t)	kastro(t)	kasto	kastī	kasto	kastro
Ins.	kastos	kastos	kastos	kastros	kastos	kastos	kastos	kastros
Com.	kastom	kastom	kastom	kastrom	kastom	kastom	kastom	kastrom
Voc.	kastus	kastys	kastos	kastos	kastis	kastys, -yz	kastas	kastas

Postpositive

	Singular				Plural
	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic
Nom.	kasta	kastys	kaston	kastor	kasti	kastyzy	kasta	kastra
Acc.	kaste	kasti	kaston	kastor	kastī	kastī	kasta	kastra
Gen.	kasto	kasto	kasto	kastro	kastoti	kastoti	kastoti	kastroti
Dat.	kastot	kastot	kastot	kastrot	kastoti	kastoti	kastoti	kastroti
Loc.	kastā	kastȳ	kastot	kastrot	kastoti	kastī	kastoti	kastroti
Ins.	kastosa	kastosy	kastoso	kastroso	kastossi	kastossi	kastossi	kastrossi
Com.	kastoma	kastomy	kastomo	kastromo	kastommi	kastommi	kastommi	kastrommi
Voc.	kastus	kastys	kastos	kastos	kastis	kastyzys	kastas	kastas

Degrees of comparison

• Equative: kastāpa adj. I "as blue, as green"
• Comparative: kastykta adj. I "bluer, greener"
• Superlative: kastāje adj. II "bluest, greenest"

Adverb

• kastirī
• Equative: *kastāprī (speculative, could be *kastāpirī).
• Comparative: kastȳtrī (rather than *kastyktirī).
• Superlative: *kastājī

Substantive

• Type 1: kasty, n. 2lun.
• Type 2: kastir, n. 5aq.

Bona-type

If the stem of a type I adjective ends in n or m, nasal deletion applies to the aquatic forms. By far the most common of these are bona and kona "that." Others include dōna "sweet," qana "sharp," tōma "five," trūma "deep." Other than this peculiarity, the bona type is identical to the regular Type I; thus the postpositive forms look like this:

	Singular				Plural
	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic
Nom.	bona	bonys	bonon	bonor	boni	bonyzy	bona	bōdra
Acc.	bone	boni	bonon	bonor	bonī	bonī	bona	bōdra
Gen.	bono	bono	bono	bōdro	bonoti	bonoti	bonoti	bōdroti
Dat.	bonot	bonot	bonot	bōdrot	bonoti	bonoti	bonoti	bōdroti
Loc.	bonā	bonȳ	bonot	bōdrot	bonoti	bonī	bonoti	bōdroti
Ins.	bonosa	bonosy	bonoso	bōdroso	bonossi	bonossi	bonossi	bōdrossi
Com.	bonoma	bonomy	bonomo	bōdromo	bonommi	bonommi	bonommi	bōdrommi
Voc.	bonus	bonys	bonos	bonos	bonis	bonyzys	bonas	bonas

If the stem ends in m, the result will be br rather than dr, e.g. trūmor → trūbra.

Bisa-type

If the stem of a type I adjective ends in z (as is the case for aorist passive participles), a sound change occurs in the aquatic forms that turns *zr to j. Likewise, if the stem already ends in j, the r will simply drop, turning *jr to j.

If the stem ends in s the change may also occur, but in most cases it will be optional.

	Singular				Plural
	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic
Nom.	bisa	bisys	bison	bisor	bisi	bisyzy	bisa	bisra, bija
Acc.	bise	bisi	bison	bisor	bisī	bisī	bisa	bisra, bija
Gen.	biso	biso	biso	bisro, bijo	bisoti	bisoti	bisoti	bisroti, bijoti
Dat.	bisot	bisot	bisot	bisrot, bijot	bisoti	bisoti	bisoti	bisroti, bijoti
Loc.	bisā	bisȳ	bisot	bisrot, bijot	bisoti	bisī	bisoti	bisroti, bijoti
Ins.	bisosa	bisosy	bisoso	bisroso, bijoso	bisossi	bisossi	bisossi	bisrossi, bijossi
Com.	bisoma	bisomy	bisomo	bisromo, bijomo	bisommi	bisommi	bisommi	bisrommi, bijommi
Voc.	bisus	bisys	bisos	bisos	bisis	bisyzys	bisas	bisas

Class II

The vast majority of Class II stems end in j, l, n, ñ, or r. There seem to be some rare exceptions to this rule, but thus far none are known. Stems may end in multiple consonants, e.g. mirre "any," morghe "dead." Stems that end in ñ have a terrestrial/quatic form that ends in -or instead of -ior (e.g. idañe, -or).

Kirine -ior "happy"

Prepositive

	Singular				Plural
	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic
Nom.	kirine		kirinior		kirini		kiriniar
Acc.	kirine		kirinior		kirini		kiriniar
Gen.	kirino		kirinȳr		kirino		kirinȳ
Dat.	kirino(t)		kirinȳr		kirino		kirinȳ
Loc.	kirinē		kirinȳr		kirino		kirinȳ
Ins.	kirinos		kirinȳs		kirinos		kirinȳs
Com.	kirinom		kirinȳm		kirinom		kirinȳm
Voc.	kirines		kirinios		kirinis		kirinīs

Postpositive

	Singular				Plural
	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic
Nom.	kirine		kirinior		kirini		kiriniar
Acc.	kirine		kirinior		kirini		kiriniar
Gen.	kirino		kirinȳro		kirinoti		kirinȳti
Dat.	kirinot		kirinȳrot		kirinoti		kirinȳti
Loc.	kirinē		kirinȳrot		kirinoti		kirinȳti
Ins.	kirinose		kirinȳso		kirinossi		kirinȳssi
Com.	kirinome		kirinȳmo		kirinommi		kirinȳmmi
Voc.	kirines		kirinios		kirinis		kirinīs

Degrees of comparison

• Equative: kirimpa adj. I "as happy"
• Comparative: kirinkta adj. I "happier"
• Superlative: kirinje adj. II "happiest"

Adverb

• kirinī "happily"

Substantive

• Type 1: kirinos, n. 3sol.
• Type 2: kirinion, n. 3ter.

Sȳz-type

A small subset of type II adjectives, whose stems end in r, have an unexpected lun/sol.nom/acc.sing. ending in z. Members of this class include sȳz sȳrior "good," and dāez dāerior "free." Aside from this anomaly, they are entirely regular type II adjectives, so, postpositively:

	Singular				Plural
	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic
Nom.	sȳz		sȳrior		sȳri		sȳriar
Acc.	sȳz		sȳrior		sȳri		sȳriar
Gen.	sȳro		sȳrȳro		sȳroti		sȳrȳti
Dat.	sȳrot		sȳrȳrot		sȳroti		sȳrȳti
Loc.	sȳrē		sȳrȳrot		sȳroti		sȳrȳti
Ins.	sȳrose		sȳrȳso		sȳrossi		sȳrȳssi
Com.	sȳrome		sȳrȳmo		sȳrommi		sȳrȳmmi
Voc.	sȳres		sȳrios		sȳris		sȳrīs

Other forms

The adverb is sȳrī, and the equative is sȳrpa. Therefore it is nearly certain that the comparative is *sȳrkta and the superlative is *sȳrje.

Class III

Class III stems usually (but not always) end in a consonant cluster. The vast majority of then stems end in l, n, r, or v. There are some rare exceptions, such as endie -ior "western."

Eglie -ior "high"

Prepositive

	Singular				Plural
	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic
Nom.	eglie		eglior		eglī		egliar
Acc.	eglie		eglior		eglī		egliar
Gen.	eglio		eglȳr		eglio		eglȳ
Dat.	eglio(t)		eglȳr		eglio		eglȳ
Loc.	egliē		eglȳr		eglio		eglȳ
Ins.	eglios		eglȳs		eglios		eglȳs
Com.	egliom		eglȳm		egliom		eglȳm
Voc.	eglies		eglios		eglīs		eglīs

Postpositive

	Singular				Plural
	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic	Lunar	Solar	Terrestrial	Aquatic
Nom.	eglie		eglior		eglī		egliar
Acc.	eglie		eglior		eglī		egliar
Gen.	eglio		eglȳro		eglȳti		eglȳti
Dat.	egliot		eglȳrot		eglȳti		eglȳti
Loc.	egliē		eglȳrot		eglȳti		eglȳti
Ins.	eglȳse		eglȳso		eglȳssi		eglȳssi
Com.	eglȳme		eglȳmo		eglȳmmi		eglȳmmi
Voc.	eglies		eglios		eglīs		eglīs

Degrees of comparison

• Equative: eglipa adj. I "as high"
• Comparative: eglikta adj. I "higher"
• Superlative: eglije adj. II "highest"

Adverb

• eglī "highly"

Substantive

• Type 1: eglos, n. 3sol.
• Type 2: eglion, n. 3ter.