On the category adjective in Southern Guaykuruan languages

Abstract

The morphology of “adjectives” in Southern Guaykuruan (SG) languages (Pilagá, Toba and Mocoví) includes forms that look more like nouns (they manifest both gender and number categories) and forms that look like verbs (they inflect for number, but not for gender). Gender affixes on adjectives coincide with gender markers used for nouns. However, adjectives do not share the feature of possession with nouns. Furthermore, most adjectives, or PROPERTY CONCEPT WORDS that inflect for number and gender are in the semantic categories of color and dimension. Words denoting properties, states and qualities which have only number are more verb-like. These translate as adjectives, do not occur with a copula, and can take verbal inflection (aspect, directionality, negation). Some adjectival concepts are expressed by full-fledged verbs, with the subject pronominal prefix functioning as the sole argument of the predicate. There are also a few adjectives with unknown etymologies that cannot be synchronically derived from nouns or verbs. We conclude that in SG languages there is a class of prototypical nouns at one end of a continuum and another class of prototypical verbs at the other end of this continuum. In addition, there are two classes of property concept words within the continuum that are realized as nominal adjectives and verbal adjectives. Situated in the middle of this continuum is a small group of words that show neither derivational nor inflectional categories.