324 N. J. Enfield
TABLE i. Distinguishing properties of the substantive and verb classes
Property Substantives Verbs
Can be head of Noun phrase in subject position
Can be possessor in a possessive construction
Can take direct marking of negation
Can be a modifier linked to a head by the relativizer thin
no bound morphemes or morphologically marked distinctions of subordination
or finiteness. A great many central tasks of the grammar are performed by periph-
rasis. For example, manipulations of valency are handled by multi-verb construc-
tions (Enfield forthcoming). Verbs show great flexibility in argument structure,
often showing multiple patterns of transitivity. Finally, the language features a sys-
tem of numeral classifiers (Enfield 2004), a feature which has been claimed to have
consequences for the structure of the noun phrase (Gil 1987).
TABLE 2. A selection of properties distinguishing verbs from nouns, stative verbs
from active verbs, and adjectives from other verb sub-types
Verb-only properties
Stative-only properties
Adjective-only properties
\ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8n/a
n/aKey to properties:
- As NP modifier, linked by thiii (§3)
- As predicate, directly preceded by negator bb</> (§3)
- V with perfective marker, entails 'V now' (§3)
- Negation does not give future reading (§3)
- Type A reduplication (§4, §4.2)
- Intensification with khanaat$ 'really very' (§4)
- Comparative in frame NPi kuai NP2 (§4, §4.3)
- Superlative in frame NPi thiii sut2 (§4, §4.3).