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Grammatical Concept: Noun-Derived Adjectival Modification
Definition
In Asaxi, Qualitative Adjectives (words describing properties like, fast, smart) are exclusively derivational, formed from existing nouns. While all nouns can be converted into qualitative adjectives, the reverse is not true.
Exclusion Note (Scope vs. Property)
Words that define scope or hierarchy (e.g., “mere”, “main”, “former”) are not classified as adjectives in Asaxi. They are treated as Determiners or Particles because they lack a source noun (an intrinsic physical property) from which to derive.
Rules: Morphological Derivation
Adjectival derivation is marked by a suffix. Unusually, Asaxi adjectives demonstrate Source Agreement: the suffix is determined by the class (warmth) of the source noun (the root being converted), not the target noun (the one being modified).
Suffixes
- Source is Warm: Suffix
-nă - Source is Cold: Suffix
-nýj
Suffix modification rules
The Adjectival Suffixes never change form regardless of the phoneme which precedes or follows them. (as opposed to the determiners, which do change!)
Agreement Logic
The warmth of the resulting adjective is “locked” to its root.
- shěso (Book, Cold) → shěsonýj (adjective) (Book-like/Smart).
- shá (Person, Warm) → shánă (adjective) (Person-like/Human).
Syntactic Structure & Semantic Constraints
Word Order: Adjective-Noun (AN).
Nuance
The combination of the Source Noun’s warmth and the Target Noun’s warmth/animacy dictates the nuance and meaning of the phrase.
“To maintain polite standard register, the speaker either opts for the Cold adjective, or uses a Warm inanimate adjective. Any other combination produces a poetic meaning.” Additionally, using adjectives derived from Cold nouns to describe Cold nouns may result in a Poetic meaning. Using adjectives derived from Warm Animate nouns to describe Warm nouns may only be Poetic of Vulgar.
Summary Table for Nuance
| Source Type | Target Type | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Cold | Warm | Standard |
| Cold | Cold | Standard or Poetic |
| Warm Inanimate | Any | Standard |
| Warm Animate | Cold | Poetic |
| Warm Animate | Warm | Poetic or Vulgar |
Semantic Combinations
| Adj Base + Target Noun | Asaxi Construction | Nuance | English Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold + Warm (Any) | shěsonýj shá | Standard | ”Book-like person” (Knowledgeable/Academic) |
| Cold + Cold | [tree]nýj [wall] | Standard | ”Tree-like wall” (A tall wall) |
| Cold + Cold | shěsonýj [Wall] | Poetic | ”Book-like Wall” (A wall covered in graffiti/text, or a “legible” barrier) |
| Warm (Animate) + Warm (Animate) | [Wolf]-nă shá | Vulgar | ”Wolf-like person” (Predatory/Hungry) |
| Warm (Animate) + Warm (Inanimate) | shánă [Computer] | Poetic | ”Human-like Computer” (Sentient AI/Android) |
| Warm (Animate) + Cold (Inanimate) | shánă shěso | Poetic | ”Person-like Book” (A book which walks and talks) |
| Warm (Inanimate) + Warm (Animate) | [Electricity]-nă shá | Standard | ”Electric-like Person” (Hyperactive/Energetic) |
| Warm (Inanimate) + Warm (Inanimate) | [Sun]-nă [Computer] | Standard | ”Sun-like Computer” (Overheating computer) |
| Warm (Inanimate) + Cold (Inanimate) | [Lava]-nă [stove] | Standard | ”Lava-like stove” (Hot to the touch/Burning) |
Summary of the Adjective Derivation system:
In Asaxi there is no lexical category of Standard Adjectives (e.g., a dedicated word for “fast”). There is instead a grammatical method to achieve “Standard Register” descriptions.