Predicate adjectives: nominal

Category
Simple Clauses - Predication
Notes
Adjectives act like nouns in predicative position

Languages

Language Feature Status Grammatical Notes Source Etymology Notes General Notes Phylogenetic Code
Cahuilla yes
Cupeño yes
Luiseño yes
Serrano yes
Kitanemuk yes
Kawaiisu yes
Timbisha yes
Western Mono yes
Chemehuevi yes
Southern Paiute no
Southern Ute yes
Shoshone no
Comanche yes
Idaho Shoshone
Northern Paiute no
Gabrielino
Achagua no info Wilson & Levinsohn 1992
Resígaro yes From information included, it seems as though both adjectives and nouns appear in very basic form and do not take any sort of verbal morphology. Allin, 1976: 285
Bare no Aikhenvald, 1995: 25
Piapoco no Adjectives can take all derivations that verbs can, while nominals cannot. Galindo, 2002: 239-240
Yukuna yes Adjectives and nouns both seem to lack time and person marking when they appear in predicative positions. Shauer & Shauer, 2000: p. 520, 524
Yavitero no Adjectives take personal reference suffixes to reference the subject, while nouns must take either full pronouns or full NPs as arguments and verbs can also take cross-referencing prefixes. All can take time affixes when used predicatively. Mosonyi, 1987: p. 55, 87-88
Wapishana no Santos 2006
Wayuu yes Mansen & Captain (2000) note that there are few true adjectives, most are stative verbs. However, they lump together numerals and adjectives. There is one example of a numeral in a predicate--this acts like a noun, rather than a verb. Mansen & Captain, 2000: p. 803
Tariana no When adjectives are used as predicates, they take the same morphology as stative verbs, but nouns do not. Aikhenvald, 2003: 76
Apurinã n/a No adjectives in Apurinã. Facundes, 2000: 342
Asheninka Apurucayali yes Adjectives and nouns are treated the same in almost all aspects in Asheninca--they take the same markings, positions, etc. Payne 1981:1819
Maipure no Zamponi 2003:30
Yanesha' no Duff-Tripp 1997:58-9
Kinikinau no info
Baure yes Danielsen 2007:196
Nanti yes Many adjective roots are also verbal roots, so the same concept can be expressed with a verb or an adjective. However, when an adjective is used predicatively, a copular verb is used. The copula is also used with nouns in predicative position. Michael, 2008. p. 292, 312-313
Paresi no info Rowan 1978, Rowan and Burgess 1979, Brandão 2010
Palikur no info Launey 2003
Yine no Matteson 1965
Añun no Patte 1989
Bora yes Since adjectives are just classifiers, they not only are able to modify nouns, but also act as nouns. Seifart - 2005:77-103
Makiritare no Hall 1988: 78
Makushi no "There are no adjectives. Only nouns occur to modify nouns in noun phrases" Abbott 1991: 129
Eñepa no info Payne 2012
Pemon no info
Guna yes Smith texts
Naso no Quesada 2000
Ika no info
Kogi no info
Cabecar no info
Guaymí no info
Damana no info
Sikuani no Queixalós 2000
Macaguan no info Buenaventura - 1993
Aguaruna no Overall 2007:238-9 Based on the examples
Northern Emberá no Aguirre 1999:56-7 Chamí
Waorani no info
Ingá no info
Matses no info
Mapudungun yes Zúñiga 2006, p. 225-7
Páez yes Jung:120
Quechua Ayacuchano no info
Tikuna yes Montes 2004b:78
Urarina yes Olawsky:391-9
Waunana no info
Andoke no info
Puinave no info
Central Aymara no info
Kakua no info Bolaños fieldnotes
Kaingang no info Silva 2011
Minica Witoto no Minor and Minor 1982. p.42, 73, 99-100
Hup no Epps 2008
Nadëb/Roçado dialect no Weir 1984
Dâw no verbal predicate for descriptive verbs Martins 2004
Desano no Miller 1999, p. 125
Cubeo yes adjectives agree with person, number, and classifer even if noun is not overt Morse & Maxwell 1999, p. 126
Kotiria no Stenzel 2004
Makuna no Smothermon & Smothermon 1993, p.44
Koreguaje yes Cook & Criswell 1993, p.34-36
Barasano yes or may take nominalizers, participials, and classifiers, and serve as modifiers in a noun phrase. Jones & Jones 1991, p.63
Tanimuca yes In isolation may be interpreted as a noun phrase or as a descriptive clause with a predicate adjective and an implicit copula. Strom 1992, p.51
Siona yes Wheeler - 1970:144
Tukano no Ramirez 1997 examples from 4.5
Yanomami no Ramirez 1994: 202 see examples
Ninam no Goodwin-Gomez evidenced by examples
Sanumá no Borgman 1990: 209-210
Surui no info
Karitiana no info
Nheengatu no Cruz 2011
Paraguayan Guaraní no Ayala 1996:34-5
Aché no info
Kokama no no adjective in Kokama Vallejos 2010
Nyangumarta yes 1
Jingulu no 0
Wambaya yes 1
Bunuba no info x
Walmajarri no info x
Nyulnyul yes 1
Warrwa yes 1
Worrorra yes ms17 1
Garrwa yes 74-6 1
Gooniyandi yes 1
Warlpiri yes LG26-7 1
Bardi yes 1
Yugambeh
Yorta Yorta yes 105 1
Yir Yoront
Yindjibarndi yes cf texts, e.g. text 7, sentence 1 (203) 1
Yidiny yes 1
Yanyuwa yes 69 1
Yandruwandha no info x
Yan-nhangu
Yalarnnga no info x
Woiwurrung maybe 76 1
Wirangu yes 138 1
Wemba-Wemba yes H 26 1
Warumungu yes 40 1
Wangkumara yes r24 1
Uradhi Yes 371 1
Paakantyi no info X
Pitta-Pitta yes 223 1
Pintupi no info x
Nyungar no info x
Nhanta yes 1
Ngiyambaa yes 70 1
Ngayawang No info x
Muruwari no info x
Mpakwithi
Mayi-Yapi yes 66 1
Martuthunira yes 205 1
Marrgany yes 333 1
Kuuk Thaayorre Yes 97 1
Kuku Yalanji no 138 0
Kugu-Nganhcara yes 418 1
Kaurna No 6 0
Kalkatungu no info x
Jaru yes? 123 1
Guugu-Yimidhirr yes 115 1
Gureng Gureng no info x
Gupapuyngu
Gumbaynggirr yes 337 1
Gugu-Badhun yes 158 1
Yuwaalaraay Yes 69 1
Dyirbal yes 71 1
Duungidjawu yes 92-3 1
Djinang Yes 209 1
Djabugay
Diyari yes 101-106 1
Dharuk
Dharawal no info 56 x
Darkinyung yes 46 1
Bularnu yes 91 1
Biri no info x
Bidjara-Gungabula no info x
Batyala Yes 4 1
Arabana yes 287-90 1
Alyawarr yes 122 1
Nyikina yes 1
Yawuru
Ngarinyin
Yulparija Yes 47 1
Wathawurrung no info x
Mathi-Mathi yes 72-73 1
Hunter River and Lake Macquarie yes 92-3 1
Thanggati yes 85-6 1
Katthang yes 108 1
Panyjima yes 136 1
Ngarinyeri Maybe 36 1
Kurrama yes 182-189 1
Yingkarta yes 1
Githabul yes 43 1
Gunya yes 333 1
Kunjen No 68 0
WesternTorres no info x
Wakaya yes 99 1
Yindjilindji yes 502 1
Bandjalang yes 105 1
Ngaatjatjara yes 28 1
Arrernte Yes 332 1
Kokatha Yes 65 1
Karajarri Yes 75 1
Pitjantjatjara Yes Y 10 1
Ritharrngu Yes 97 1
Warrgamay Yes 63 1
Warluwarra yes 864 1
Warnman Yes 17 1
Djapu yes 108 1
Bilinarra yes 7.2 1
Wiradjuri no info x
Aghu-Tharnggala Yes 82 1
Narungga No info x
Tharrkari Yes 24 1
Wajarri Yes 36 1
Warungu yes 186 1
Adnyamathanha
Yagua no info Payne and Payne 1990
Baniwa no Ramirez 2001