Adjective Classes - A Cross-Linguistic Typology

11 Adjectives in North-East Ambae 267

sub-classes, further distinctions can be made on the basis of options for increase
in valency. The majority of active intransitive verbs have a derived transitive form.
Active verbs can be either O-type or A-type, whereas those few adjectives that can
be increased in valency are all O-type. Most adjectives do not have a transitive
form. There are two sub-classes of adjectives; the members of one have no transi-
tive counterpart, while members of the other small sub-class can be causativized
(O-type).
While the basic distinction between active intransitive verbs and adjectives is a
semantic one, contrasting those verbs which describe an event with those which
denote a state or process, this sub-classification can be justified on morphosyntac-
tic grounds.

4 Criteria for distinguishing adjectives from other verb classes

In languages in which adjectives behave similarly to verbs, there are a number
of criteria that can be used in order to establish whether adjectives can be dis-
tinguished from verbs or from different verb sub-classes (as discussed by Dixon,
Chapter i). In Ambae, the most significant factor is that adjectives can modify a
noun in an NP, whereas active intransitive verbs cannot. The defining characteris-
tics of members of the class of adjectives which distinguish them from active in-
transitive verbs are as follows:

• Adjectives can modify nouns in the NP (§4.1).


• The function of aspect-mood marking differs with active verbs and adjectives,
  in that if an adjective is marked for realis or irrealis mood, this refers to a pro-
  cess or change in state, while if it is marked for telic aspect, it refers to a state
  (§4.2.1).


• If an imperative, dehortative, or apprehensive construction is formed with an
  adjective, this results in a pragmatically marked predication (§4.2.2).


• A comparative construction is formed by a VP with an adjective as its head
  which takes a PP adjunct with the preposition dene 'from' as its head. If a VP
  with an active verb as its head takes a dene PP adjunct, this specifies the abla-
  tive (§4.3).


• Adjectives can be nominalized with the suffix -gi (§4.4).


• There are differences in options for valency increase. Adjectives cannot take
  the applicative suffixes, but a small number can take the causative prefix vaga-,
  which does not occur on active verbs (§4.5).


• Adjectives can only occur in two types of serial verb construction, as the second
  verb in a causative SVC or an ambient SVC. it is rare for a serial verb construc-
  tion to consist of two adjectives (§4.6).


• There are differences in the functions of reduplication for adjectives and active
  verbs (§4.7).


• In terms of semantic roles, when an adjective forms a predicate, its subject is al-
  ways an undergoer rather than an actor (§4.8).