1 Adjective Classes in Typological Perspective 17Adjectives may have wider possibilities than verbs. For example, in Fijian the
pre-head predicate modifier rui 'more than a usual amount' is allowed when the
predicate head is an adjective, as in (12) with levu 'big', but not when it is a verb, as
in (13) with pu'u 'be angry' (Dixon 1988: 95).
(12) [e rui /evM]INTRANSITIVE PREDICATE
3sgS LOTS big
'he/she is too big'
(13)*[eruipu'u]INTRANSITIVE PREDICATE
3sgS LOTS be.angry
'he/she is too angry'
However, when a predicate with verb as head includes an adverbal modifier (which
involves prefix va'a- added to an adjective), then it may also include modifier rui,
as in:
(13') [e rui pu'u vaa-/evM]INTRANSITIVE PREDICATE
3SgS LOTS be.angry ADVERBAL.DERIVATION-big
'he/she is very angry (more than is appropriate)'
In summary, rui may only be used in a predicate which includes an adjective. The
adjective may either be predicate head, as in (12), or the nucleus of an adverbal
modifier, as in va'a-levu greatly' (based on levu 'big') in (13').
Another recurrent criterion concerns reduplication possibilities. In Chinese (Xu
1988), a verb when reduplicated carries the meaning 'do a little bit', for example:
(14) dong 'to move' dong dong 'to move a little'
In contrast, when an adjective is reduplicated, the semantic effect is 'intensification
of the quality', as in:
(15) hong 'red' honghong 'vividly red'
In Qiang (see Chapter 13), reduplication usually signifies reciprocity for verbs
but either plurality or intensification or both for adjectives (depending on the for-
mal nature of the reduplication). In Mupun (Chadic; Frajzyngier 1993: 63-73),
both verbs and adjectives may reduplicate, which serves as a process of nomin-
alization. But whereas a reduplicated verb just forms an abstract noun (e.g. ran
'write', rdnrdn 'writing'), when an adjective is reduplicated it adds a sense of inten-
sity (e.g. mool 'thick', mamool great thickness'). (And see the note on methodology
concerning the semantics of reduplication, in §6.2.2.)
Adjectives may also differ from verbs in possibilities for derivation. In Qiang,
for instance, nominalization by the definite marker is almost restricted to adjec-
tives. In Mandarin Chinese (Xu 1988), different sets of derivational suffixes apply
to verbs (e.g. agentive nominalizer -jia) and to adjectives (e.g. verbalizer -hua).