134 Nora C. England
(33) jatuma t-0-a qloolj
where EXisx-B3sg-Disp dark
'where it is dark'
Attributive adjectives usually precede the noun they modify:
(34) saq weexj 'white pants' (*weexj saq, at least with this meaning)
white pants
(35) kyaq q'ankyooq 'red lightning' (*q'ankyooq kyaq, with this meaning)
red lightning
If there is an indefinite article or number before the noun, some speakers will post-
pose the adjective to the noun:
(36) juun t-wiixh saq 'a cat of his/his cat' (juunsaq t-wiixh)
(37) tkaab'an tx'yaan jawan 'the second fierce dog' (tkab'anjawan tx'yaan)
Others, however, do not move the adjective to follow the noun:
(38) jun a'laj chulal 'a green sapodilla' (*jun chulal a'laj, with this meaning)
When an adjective follows a noun, it is possible to interpret it as a relative clause
modifying the noun. For some speakers, this is the only available interpretation,
with or without a number or indefinite article. For others, however, moving the at-
tributive adjective to follow a noun in an NP with a number or indefinite article
does not involve relativization. Even for those who do postpose the adjective to
the noun, the adjectives matiij 'big, important', nim 'many', ni 'small', and tal 'small'
can precede the noun no matter what else there is in the NP. The adjective nimaal
great, important' always precedes the noun.
(39) kab' matiij xjaal 'two important people'
(40) kab' xjaal matiij 'two important people'
Nouns can also modify other nouns, but only in the context of: (i) a possessive
noun phrase, in which the first noun is possessed by the second noun and the first
noun takes Set A markers that agree with the person and number of the posses-
sor, or (ii) a measure word, which quantifies a mass noun so that it can be counted,
specifies a part to be counted, or specifies some physical characteristic of the noun
that is being counted. Such measures are always preceded by a number or quanti-
fier. They precede nouns. Examples:
(41) Possessive NPs:
t-kamb' meeb'a 'the orphan's prize'
A3sg-prize orphan
ky-witz xjaal 'the people's heads'
A3pl-hear person