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CHAPTER XVIII

123. An Adjective is a word which qualifies a Noun, a Pronoun or an Adjective:

`a good boy' ܺ ڟ `a bad man'

ܥ ܥ `a black cat' ؿ ܛ `cold water'

ܣ `a sick girl' ܝ `this book'

܈ܛ `that house' ܽ ܹۛ `my sister'

۟ܣ ۣ `our city' ۺ ڻ `much milk'

ܿ ܡܽ `five rupees' ܾ- ܝ `which book'

ۺ-ܽ ڟ `many men' Ń ܽ `several people'

ۣ ܈ܩ `deep blue sky' ۺ ڟ `very good man'.

124. Some Adjectives denote a quality (, ܺ, ܥ); some state number (), quantity (ۺ); some describe state or condition (ؿ, ܣ); some only point out (, ); others particularize or show relation (ܽ, ۟ܣ); still others ask question (ܾ-) etc., etc. Broadly speaking, Adjectives can be divided into two classes describing and distinguishing, i.e. those which merely indicate a quality, and those which point out a person or a thing as distinct from others of their own class. Thus ܺ, ܥ, ܣ, ؿ etc. merely describe, whereas , , ܽ, ۟ܣ etc. point to thing and persons which are to be distinguished from other persons and things.

  1. Almost all the Pronouns can function as Adjectives:

    2. ܝ `this book'

    ܽ ܍ܽ `those children' (Demonstrative);

    ܾ ڟ? `which man?'

    ơ ܟ `what work?' (Interrogative);

    ܽ ڟ `some man'

    Ŏ ť `some fruits' (Indefinite);

    ܽ `the boys who' (Relative);

  2. The oblique forms of Pronouns having , or namely, ܈, ܈, Ŭ܈, ܽ, ܽ, ۟ܣ, ܺܣ and ܛ (except in ܛܽ ܜ) etc. are used always as Adjectives. In fact, the oblique forms of all Nouns with may also be considered as Possessive Adjective changes to- and- (127).

    3. Note- ܛ is used also as an intensifying (or emphasizing) Adjective when it follows a Noun or Pronoun with or and means `own'. see 120

  3. (a) Adjectives ending in (including Possessive Adjectives change to when qualifiying a Feminine Nown in any case or number :

`a good boy', but `a good girl'; šܿ, ܽ, šܽ ܽ, similarly ܽ ܝ, ܽ ܝܽ, ܽ ܝ ܽ, ܽ ܝܽ ܽ etc.

  1. The changes to when the Adjective is qualifying a Masculine Noun either in the oblique form or in the Plural (Direct Oblique) : ܽ, `good boys', ܽ ܽ, ܽ ܃ ܽ, ܽ ܃ ` my brothers', ܽ ܃ܽ ܽ etc.
  2. A few A - Adjectives are excepted from this rule : ܨ `one and a quarter', ܹ`of superior quality', ܹ `of inferior quality', `nice', ںܡ `unhappy, unfortunate'.
  3. All the other Adjectives (ܥ `red', ܣ `heavy' etc.) remain unchanged : ܥ Ŝ (masc.) `red cloth', ܥ Ŝ, `red cloths', ܥ `red sari'.
  4. Case-signs are attached only to the Nouns, the Adjective having only the oblique form : ܽ, ܽ ܃ ܽ, ۟ܣ ۣ ܽ, ڟ ܽ, ܺ ܣ, ۟ ܣܽ ܽ but see 136.
  1. (a) attached to the oblique form of a Noun or a Pronoun denotes `like', which then functions as an Adjective :

ܡ- cow-like', ܽ- `dog-like', ܺ- `me-like', ܺ- `you-like',

- `them-like'.

The of these Adjectives changes in the oblique and the Feminine like ordinary -Adjectives.

(b) is attached also to an Adjective and

    1. either denotes `looking, seeming':

ܥ- `red-looking', -

܊ܥ- `mad-looking', -

ںܥ- `weak-looking', ܽ- `fair-looking'.

or (ii) intensifies when used with quantitative Adjectives :

ۺ- `a great deal', ܽ- `just a little'.
    1. - denotes `similar'.

These Adjectives when qualifying a Noun in Plural or in the oblique form or a Feminine Noun (Singular or Plural, Direct or Oblique) change both the elements in accordance with the general rule. See 153.

  1. is also added to the or or forms for denoting similarity if quality, possession etc.:

    2. ܛڣ - ܺ `a face like that of a monkey',

    ܚܽ - ܨ{ `a voice like that of an ass'.

    ܈-ܽ Ŝ `clothes similar to his',

    ܽ- ܈ `a nose like mine',

    ܛ- ܺ ܽţ ܡ `was abashed'.

    Note that both ,, and are affected by Gender, Number and Case.

  2. with ܽ and ܾ denotes `any one' and `which one', respectively : ܽ- ܝ `any book', ܾ- ܝ `which book?'
  3. with ܽ and ܾ denotes `any one' and `which one', respectively : ܽ- ܝ `any book', ܾ- ܝ `which book?'
  4. `Degree of qualities etc. are usually denoted with the help of the Case-sign ܽ attached to the Noun or Pronoun (in oblique form) with which comparison is made. See 98 (b).

    5. ܟ ܽ ܽ `younger than Ram',

    ܝ ܽ  `higher than all, highest',

  5. ܽ is similarly used (in the ``selective'' sense) for denoting superiority of one out of two or more. See 99 (d).

    6. ܽܽ ܽ `bigger of the two',

    ܝܟܽ , also ܝܬܽ `best of all'.

  6. In literarry Hindi, the phrase ܽ may be substitued for ܽ.

    7. ܟ ܽ ܽ `younger as compared to Ram'.

  7. The words or ܈ `more' and ş `less' may be prefixed to Adjectives for denoting comparison :

    8. ܽ۽ ܽ (ş) ܅ `more (less) durable than iron',

    ť ܽ ܈ ܽܥ `more delicate than flower'.

    , ܈ and ş can also be used independently for denoting `more' or `less' in number or in quantity :

    ڬ ܽ (ş) `more (less) than ten'; ܛ ܽ ܈ (ş) `more (less) than a maund'.

    ş-ܽ-ş `at least' and ܈-ܽ-܈ `at the most' are used as Adverbs for which se App. III 5 (i).

    ܁ ţ `superior to' and ܒ ţ `inferior to' are similarly used.

  8. Adjectives denoting quality, number and quantity may be used as Nouns, when they are affected by Case and Number in the same way as Nouns ܽ ܽ, ܽܽ ܽ, ܛܽ ܽ, ܽ, ܣ ܽ, ۺܽ ܽ, ܽܽ ܽ , ܺ ܽ; ܛ used as a Noun denotes `a thing', or person belonging to oneself, Ŏ., however, does not change : Ŏ ܽ (Plural).
  9. (a) Two sets of Adjectives derived from pronouns may particularly be noted-
  1. denoting quality `of this kind' (from ), ܾ `of that kind' (from ), Ŭ `of what kind' (from ܾ-ơ), ܾ `of which kind' (Relative from ܽ), ܾ `of that kind' (from ܽ, archaic). Compare forms. See 128-131
  2. denoting quantity

ܛ `this much' (from ),

ܛ `that much' (from ),

ܛ `how much' (fromơ),

ܛ `as much (Relative from ܽ).

The Plurals of ܛ etc. may denote Number : ܛܽ ڟ `so many men', ܛ ܝܽ `how many books?', ܛܽ ť `how many fruits?'

All these are affected by Gender and Case like -ending Adjectives, and may be used also as Nouns. (for corresponding Adverbs, see 282-283).

  1. The Present and Past Participles (See 239-240) are Adjectives, derived from verbs: ܛ `flowing water', ܽ ڛ `past days'.
  2. Adjectives may, of course, be used as parts of Predicate and undergo the usual changes the usual changes due to Gender, Number and Case :

    3. ţܽ `stop the carriage.'

    `the boys are good',

  3. But if an Adjective is used as a predicative word referring to an object which has ܽ, it (the Adjective) remains unchanged. See 97 (c) and (e):

    4. ܽ ţܽ `stop the carriage',

    ܈ ܽ ܥ Šܽ `paint the wood black';

    ܝܽ ܽ ܛ ţܽ `do not make the books dirty'.

  4. The words , , ܛ, ۺ, , etc. prefixed to an Adjective (of quality) denote `very, extremely' :

    5. ǻţ `very cruel', ں: `extremely painful', ܛ ܺڣ `extremely' beautiful', ۺ ܽ `very small, or young', ܣ `very heavy', ܞܡܛ܈ `extremely fearful':

    ǻţ `very cruel', ں: `extremely painful', ܛ ܺڣ `extremely' beautiful', ۺ ܽ `very small, or young', ܣ `very heavy', ܞܡܛ܈ `extremely fearful'.

  5. The Sanskrit comparative and superlative endings ܣ and ܟ are usually attached to only Tatsama Adjectives for denoting more, very, extremely, highly etc.

Ź؛ܣ `more difficult', ϡܟ `very dear, dearest, darling'.