3 The Two Adjective Classes in Manange 91behaviour of these two lexical classes with regards to word order. This difference
is not a trait which one can attribute strictly to the semantics of the verb-like ad-
jectives. Essentially, verb-like adjectives occupy the same noun-phrase position as
simple adjectives, which we may refer to more generally as the position for adjec-
tives in the noun phrase.
4.3.2. Predicative functions
The syntactic structures in which verb-like adjectives serve predicative functions
differ depending on the aspectual properties of the clause, at times they serve as
copula complements and at times as intransitive verbs. As background, and to fa-
cilitate comparison, we will begin by describing the inflection of non-adjectival
verbs in different tense/aspect/mood (TAM) categories.
Perfective aspect of non-adjectival verbs is conveyed either by means of the suf-
fix -tsi or by the particle imi (iro), depending on evidentiality:
(42) 2tsu imAyi=ko itA-tsi,
PROX buffalo=DEF become-PERF
'(These yaks) have become buffalo.'(43) sbofA.13nan=ri, itshan imi ro.
bottle inside=LOC put EVID REP
'(They) put (their frog) inside of a bottle.'
In imperfective clauses, the verb is inflected with the suffix -tse (or the allomorph
-ts/i) and followed by the copula imo:
(44) imAkyu=ro 3tsAr=ti 3yu-tse imo ten
down=LOC down=LOC descend-coNT COP then
'(Then some of the yaks) were descending down.'
It is clear that in these constructions the verb and copula together form a single
intransitive predicate, and that the structure is not one of a copula with a comple-
ment. Evidence for this is that the imo is obligatory, and 3yu-tse has no independ-
ent meaning or syntactic function. In addition, when this structure is negated, the
negative morpheme prefixes to the lexical verb, and may not attach to the copula,
e.g. yya ^a-yu-tse imo 'the yaks did not descend'. Thus the copula has no status as
an independent verb in this construction.
To indicate events in future tense, the verb is inflected with -pA, which in this
context marks irrealis:
(45) 3no-pA=ri ifu-pA 3ya=ko ten.
tall-NR=LOC stay-NR yak=DEF then
ikhA ki m-khA-pA,
come or NEG-come-NR
"The yaks who stayed in the tall place (said), "will they come or not come?"...'