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.[1] If such an adjective follows its noun, it gives it a more "official" feel.[2] 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. It 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.") It is likely that the equative will be used in other constructions as well, perhaps in sentences like "He made things worse."
Adverb
Adverbs are formed with the suffix -ī. For Class I this is added to the aquatic form, for II and III it is added to the solar/lunar.[3]
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:
- 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."
- 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."
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[4] | kasta | kastra |
Acc. | kaste | kasti | kaston | kastor | kastī | kastī | kasta | kastra |
Gen. | kasto | kasto | kasto | kastro | kasto(t)[5] | kasto(t)[5] | kasto(t)[5] | kastro(t)[5] |
Dat. | kasto(t)[5] | kasto(t)[5] | kasto(t)[5] | kastro(t)[5] | kasto(t)[5] | kasto(t)[5] | kasto(t)[5] | kastro(t)[5] |
Loc. | kastā | kastȳ | kasto(t)[5] | kastro(t)[5] | kasto(t)[5] | kastī | kasto(t)[5] | kastro(t)[5] |
Ins. | kastos | kastos | kastos | kastros | kastos | kastos | kastos | kastros |
Com. | kaston, -om[6] | kaston, -om[6] | kaston, -om[6] | kastron, -rom[6] | kaston, -om[6] | kaston, -om[6] | kaston, -om[6] | kastron, -rom[6] |
Voc. | kastus | kastys | kastos | kastos | kastis | kastys, -yz[4] | 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
Substantive
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(t)[5] | kirinȳ(t) [5] | ||||
Dat. | kirino(t) [5] | kirinȳr | kirino(t)[5] | kirinȳ(t)[5] | ||||
Loc. | kirinē | kirinȳr | kirino(t)[5] | kirinȳ(t)[5] | ||||
Ins. | kirinos | kirinȳs | kirinos | kirinȳs | ||||
Com. | kirinon, -om[6] | kirinȳn, -ȳm[6] | kirinon, -om[6] | kirinȳn, -ȳm[6] | ||||
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 | kirinȳro | kirinoti | kirinȳti | ||||
Loc. | kirinē | kirinȳro | 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
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 | sȳrȳro | sȳroti | sȳrȳti | ||||
Loc. | sȳrē | sȳrȳro | 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 ondie -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(t)[5] | eglȳ(t)[5] | ||||
Dat. | eglio(t)[5] | eglȳro(t)[5] | eglio(t)[5] | eglȳ(t)[5] | ||||
Loc. | egliē | eglȳro(t)[5] | eglio(t)[5] | eglȳ(t)[5] | ||||
Ins. | eglios | eglȳs | egliot | eglȳs | ||||
Com. | eglion[6] | eglȳn[6] | eglion[6] | eglȳn[6] | ||||
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 happy"
- Comparative: eglikta adj. I "higher"
- Superlative: eglije adj. II "highest"
Adverb
- eglī "highly"
Substantive
Notes
- ↑ "Right, so that's why it's the default that adjectives can be in both places except for modifiers (even though the latter are older)" "Oh, and by modifiers I mean determiners/demonstratives" -DJP, IRC
- ↑ "All adjectives can be postpositive if they want, but especially those that are more determinative in nature generally come before the noun, unless you want to sound...official?" —DJP, IRC
- ↑ Cf. Elat k’Athivezhofari: "Nēdenka is a Class I adjective, which means that it takes a suffix -irī to become an adverb."
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The form is kastyz before a vowel, or a voiced consonant.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 5.25 5.26 5.27 5.28 5.29 5.30 5.31 5.32 The -t is omitted before a consonant, but retained before a vowel.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 The form is -m before a vowel or a labial consonant, but usually -n elsewhere.