14 Adjectives in Lao 3394.5. INCHOATIVIZATION OF ADJECTIVES USING DIRECTIONAL COMPLEMENTS
There is variation within adjectives in how they are 'inchoativized'. Four direc-
tional verbs—khaw$ 'enter', qdok$ exit', khun$ 'ascend', and Iong2 'descend'—can be
used after an adjective to express the meaning that the adjective property becomes
'more':^7
(73) pheti khaws
spicy enter
get spicier'
(74) naji qooks
big exit
'enlarge'
(75) diis khuns
good ascend
'improve'
(76) nooJ4 Iong2
small descend
'shrink, reduce'
Many verbs can take only one of the directional verbs in such a construction.
(77) dz/3 khuns/long2/khaws/*qooks
good ascend/descend/enter/exit
'improve'
Other verbs can take more than one:
(78) baa.4 khaws/khuns
crazy enter/ascend
get crazier'
(79) ceeng4 qooks/khuns
clear exit/ascend
'become clearer'
One might expect there to be some systematicity relating to the apparent parallel-
ism within the system, i.e. given that enter/exit and ascend/descend are opposites,
and that many adjectives come in opposite pairs. But while one says naaw^ khaw$
[cold enter] for get colder', one cannot say *hoon4 qdok$ [hot exit] for get hotter'.
(^7) Directional verbs are also used in combination with other verb types, but without 'inchoative'
meanings. They regularly combine with active verbs which refer to a kind of action which can cause
motion along some path (e.g. khiins ascend' in leeni khiins khooJ4 [run ascend hill] 'run up a hill').