14 Adjectives in Lao 337None of the other verb sub-classes allow Type A reduplication. Many adjectives
also cannot occur with Type A reduplication due to their being non-monosyllabic
(e.g. salaats 'clever'). Note also the case ofluaj0-luaJ4, a common expression mean-
ing 'all the time', which has the structure of Type A reduplication, but where there is
no input verb/adjective form liiaJ4 (i.e. it is inherently reduplicated).
Very occasionally, nominals are used in a Type A reduplication structure, as in
the following attested example:
(62) juui theng2 phu0-phuu2 phuntf
be.at top REDUP-mountain DEM.PCL.FAR.DISTAL
'far far away over in the mountains'
This is apparently an extended use of a nominal in an adverbial function; i.e.
'mountain as 'in the mountains'. Another attested example is thuuks boom sin0-
siin4 [strike place REDUP-meat] '(It) struck (my rump) in the very meat.'
4.3. COMPARATIVE AND SUPERLATIVE EXPRESSIONS
Comparative expressions involve a marker kua.0 'more than, which is derived from
a verb kuai meaning cross, surpass' (cf. Ansaldo 1999).
(63) khoojs suung3 kuatf caw4
ISG tall more.than ISG
'I am taller than you.'
None of the other verb classes can appear in this construction, as the following
examples demonstrate:^6
(64) *khddjs phopi mam kua0 caw4
ISG meet 380 more.than ISG
(I meet him (more) than you.)
(65) *khdojs puk2 hiiam kua.0 caw4
ISG build house more.than ISG
(I build (a) house(s) (more) than you.)
(66) *khddjs naangi kuatf caw4
ISG walk more.than ISG
(I walk (more) than you.)
(67) *khdojs mii2 pum4 kua.0 caw4
ISG have book more.than ISG
(I have (a) book(s) (more) than you.)
(^6) Note, however, that in all these examples, insertion of the quantification adjective laajz 'much,
very' before the comparative particle kuai gives a grammatical expression with the required mean-
ing.