156 Paulette Levy
(c) snu:n klaqama:xanalh
snu:n k-laqa-ma:xa-nan-lh
very i-face-ashame-iNDEROBj-cpL
'I was very ashamed.'2.3. ADJECTIVES AS DEPICTIVE SECONDARY PREDICATES
Adverbialization of adjectives is not a word formation—i.e. derivation—process,
but rather a syntactic one. Adjectives, when pre-verbal—more precisely, when ini-
tial at core-level—have a function as depictive secondary predicates (Schultze-
Berndt and Nicholas Himmelmann 2004, Aissen 2001). Basic nouns do not ap-
pear in this slot.
(173) shows an adjective in modifier position within an NP. The same adjective,
in its descriptive form or in its specifying form, functions as secondary predicate,
in (lyb) and (170), respectively, with restrictions depending on the semantic class
of the main verb. (17 d), from text, shows that the position is pre-verbal and not
sentence-initial.
(17) (a) ka:xtlawdya [Ihkaka fawa]NP
ka:x-tlawa-ya:-f Ihkaka ta-wa:-?
prepare-make-icpL-2 spicy iNGR-eat.it-NR
'You prepare spicy food.'
(b) Ihkaka kka:xtlawayd:w kintawahkd'n
Ihkaka k-ka:x-tlawa-ya:-w kin-tawah-kd'n
spicy iEXCL-prepare-make-icpL-ipl iposs-food-poss:pl
'We prepare our food spicy.'
(c) xalhkaka kka:xtlawayd:w kintawahkd'n
xa-lhkaka k-ka:x-tlawa-ya:-w kin-tawah-kd'n
DET-spicy iEXCL-prepare-make-icpL-ipl iposs-food-poss:pl
'We prepare our food of the spicy type.'
(d) [klakaski'n [lanka' ixkintlawa']$]$'
k-lakaski'n-a: lanka' ix-kin-tlawa-lh-f
i-want.it-icpL big PST-iOBj-make-cpL-2
'I want you to make me big.'
In contrast, basic nouns do not appear in this frame. Certain deverbal nouns of
result do appear as secondary predicates but only if they are specified by xa- (see
Levy 2oo2b for details).
All adjectives appear preceding the verb tasi': 'looks like' (loosely 'seem')—to
such an extent that one is tempted to consider it a semicopula—as in (i8a). Nouns
cannot appear in this position, as (i8b) shows.
(18) (a) skulujwa tasi': namd: qa'wasa
skulujwa ta-si':-ya: namd: qa'wasa
nimble iNGR-visible(Vst)-icpL that boy
"That boy looks/seems nimble.'