Adjective Classes - A Cross-Linguistic Typology

2 Inflected and Uninflected Adjectives in Japanese 55

Compare this example with the negative verb in (5) and the positive verb in (6):

(5) deki-na-ku nar-u

can.do-NEG-coNj become-NONPAST

'become unable to do (it)'

(6) deki-ru yoo ni nar-u

can.do-NONPAST ADJLZR be:coNj become-NONPAST

'become able to do (it)'

(d) Modifier (in nonpast/past forms) directly preceding nouns in NPs, like verbs:

(7) naga-i ressya

long-NONPAST train

'long train

(e) Unlike positive and negative verbs (except stative verbs), inflected adjectives do
not combine with auxiliaries, which express aspect, directionality, benefaction, etc.

(f) The grammatical filler verb used in certain analytic constructions is am (as a
lexical verb, 'be located, exist') with inflected adjectives (and negative verbs) vs.
suru ('do') with positive verbs. (Note that aru has an irregular negative, nai, in
place of expected *aranai.) Thus aru appears in (8) and (9), suru (negative: sinai)
in (10):

(8) Naga-ku na-i (Negative construction: inflected adjective)

long-CONJ NEG-NONPAST

'(It) is not long'

(9) Oki-na-ku mo na-i (Emphatic negative construction:

get.up-NEG-coNj even NEG-NONPAST negative verb)

'(They) don't not get up/(They) do get up'

(10) Oki mo sina-i (Emphatic negative construction:
get.up:coNj even NEG-NONPAST positive verb)
'(They) don't even get up'

Note that stative positive verbs also combine with suru:

(11) Ar-i mo sina-i (Emphatic negative construction:
exist-coNj also NEG-NONPAST positive (stative) verb (aru))
'(They) don't even exist/There aren't any, even

(g) In the construction clause + hooga ii 'It's better to do/be clause', inflected adjec-
tives and negative verbs in the clause normally occur in the nonpast form, unlike
positive verbs (again including statives) which commonly occur in the past form
(with no past time meaning):