Adjective Classes - A Cross-Linguistic Typology

6 Adjectives in Papantla Totonac 159

spi'nini 'light red, pink' (pi'n = hot pepper, chile)

smalala 'dark, brown (peoples skin)

Ihmalala 'dark, brown (peoples skin)

(b) With the suffix -(n)k/qVa (')

stalanka', staranka' 'clear, transparent, clean, white'

sta'lanqa', sta'ranqa' 'pale, discoloured, white'

ci'ca'qa 'black'

smumuqu 'light, blond' (people)

chu'chu'qu 'red, dark red'

cu'cu'qu 'red'

spu'pu'qu greyish blue'

Ihpu'pu'qu 'ashen, between dark blue and grey'

sapuku' 'pale'

lhapuqu' 'pale, anaemic, discoloured'

Others colour terms are related clearly to a natural process, staqa green, unripe',
xtakni green, (maybe < staka grow'?), or derived from the colour of an object,
la:xixi:wa 'orange' < la:xix 'orange, n.' All 'basic' colours are morphologically com-
plex, either inherently reduplicated or formed with a harmonic suffix.

(24) PHYSICAL PROPERTY
(a) Reduplicated last syllable
stu'lulu 'plump and thick'
(stu'lu Vtr 's/he makes little balls')
Ihtu'lulu 'plump and thick, more than the above'
qa'wiwi 'cold, icy'
sqa'wiwi cool'
sti'lili 'circular'
(sti'li, sti'ri VJr 's/he borders it')
(b) With the suffix -(n)k/qVa (')
pa'cha'qa 'soft, mashed, like mud'
(pacha Vtr 's/he mashes it, s/he crushes it')
smata'nka' 'finely ground'
(smata Vtr 's/he grinds it')
sti'liki', sti'riki' 'round, circular, oval'
(c) With the suffix -IVct
Ihnankala, Ihnanqala 'so long that it drags (like a bride's gown)'
(Ihnanqa 'tendons')
Ihqutili 'crooked'
xquti'li 'twisted'
(xqutf Vtr 's/he twists it')
qajqa'la 'thin, lean'
ska'jka'la 'very thin, skinny'
Ihka'jka'la 'rigid, stiff'