Where have adjectives come from in Dzongkha?

Abstract

Abstract This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of adjectives in Dzongkha, a Trans-Himalayan (Tibeto-Burman) language spoken in Bhutan. Several syntactic and morphological properties serve to differentiate adjectives from other word classes. Syntactic properties include the ability of adjectives to directly modify the head noun in a noun phrase (NP), to be modified by an intensifier in the copula complement function, and to serve as the parameter of comparison in comparative constructions. They also include the inability of adjectives to form a complete NP or an intransitive predicate, to function as the possessor and the possessed in possessive constructions, and to occur in cleft-focus constructions. Morphological properties include comparative and superlative markings, as well as the inability of adjectives to take the markers of grammatical categories typically associated with verbs, such as tense, aspect, modality, causative derivation, imperative mood, and negation; or the markers of grammatical categories typically associated with nouns, such as gender, augmentative and diminutive, and case and number. This study is anticipated to cast light on the status of adjectives in other closely related Trans-Himalayan languages.