222 Chapter 7 Nominals and noun phrases
(180) a. Ceng-koceng celleng koros juwa lo' tedhung.
RED-cat black thin that not sleep
'Those skinny black cats are not asleep.'
b. *Koceng leng-celleng koros juwa lo' tedhung.
cat RED-black thin that not sleep
(Those skinny black cats are not asleep.)
c. *Koceng celleng ros-koros juwa lo' tedhung.
cat black RED-thin that not sleep
(Those skinny black cats are not asleep.)
In (180a), the noun, koceng ‘cat’ is reduplicated and the structure is grammati-
cal. In (180b) it is the first adjective celleng ‘black’ is reduplicated and in
(180c) the second one, koros ‘thin’, is, resulting in unacceptable sentences.
When there is a possessor in addition to an adjectival modifier, the dy-
namic changes somewhat. As (181) shows, unsurprisingly the head noun can be
reduplicated.
(181) Ceng-koceng koros-sa Nabun ngeco' juko'.
RED-cat thin-DEF Nabun AV.steal fish
‘Nabun’s skinny cats stole some fish.’
However, pre-possessor attributive adjectives cannot be reduplicated.
(182) *Koceng ros-koros-sa Nabun ngeco' juko'.
cat RED-thin-DEF Nabun AV.steal fish
(Nabun’s skinny cats stole some fish.)
The sentence in (182) is unacceptable precisely because the pre-possessor mod-
ifier is reduplicated. The adjective may be reduplicated only if it is the predicate
of a modifying relative clause, which necessarily follows the possessor.
(183) Koceng-nga Nabun se ros-koros ngeco' juko'.
cat-DEF Nabun REL RED-thin AV.steal fish
‘Nabun’s skinny cats stole some fish.’
Of course, the noun may be reduplicated and the adjective occur in a post-
possessor relative clause with no change in meaning.
(184) Ceng-koceng-nga Nabun se koros ngeco' juko'.
RED-cat-DEF Nabun REL thin AV.steal fish
‘Nabun’s skinny cats stole some fish.’