Adjective Classes - A Cross-Linguistic Typology

11 Adjectives in North-East Ambae 271

TABLE 3. Adjectives specified for telic aspect or realis mood

garea
hasi
lague
biti
mate
mwaso
bibilu
mamaha
sao

Telic

Stative reading

'to be good'

'to be bad'

'to be big'

'to be small'

'to be dead'

'to be alive'

'to be wet'

'to be dry'

'to be many'

Past reading

'to be good/better' (past)

'to be bad/worse' (past)

'to be big/bigger' (past)

'to be small/ smaller' (past)

'to be dead/ die' (past)

'to be alive/live' (past)

'to be/get wet' (past)

'to be/get dry' (past)

'to be(come) many'

(Ir)realis

Process reading

'to get better'

'to get worse'

'to get bigger'

'to get smaller'

'to die'

'to become alive'

'to get wet'

'to get dry'

'to become many'

(19) U

TEL good

'S/he cried.'

Examples of some of the adjectives which can describe either a state or process are
listed in Table 3.
This function of telic aspect marking for specifying states would seem to have
a logical origin, as telic aspect is used to view an event from its endpoint, and a
state is the natural endpoint of a process. When the process is complete, the sub-
ject, which has an undergoer role, will have undergone a change in state, and thus
a new state arises. To demonstrate the way telic aspect can be used as opposed to
realis mood to specify that the endpoint of a process has been reached, consider
the use of an adjective such as mena 'to be ripe, ripen'. With this adjective, realis
mood is used rather than the telic aspect to describe a situation in which the sub-
ject referent has basically reached the state of being 'ripe', but because the fruit is
still on the tree, it is still being affected, and going through the process of'ripening'.
The speaker does not express that the endpoint of the process has been reached
and does not use the telic aspect until the fruit is picked, and thus it is true to say
that the process can no longer continue as the activity which is causing the process
to occur has stopped.
(20) Gavige m=mo mena.
Malay.apple 3nsgSP=REAL ripe
"The Malay apples are ripe(ning).'
(21) Gavige m=u mena.
Malay.apple 3nsgSP=TEL ripe
"The Malay apples are ripe.'