The adjective in isiZulu

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY: This study deals with the syntax as well as the semantics of the adjective in isiZulu. Thecategories with the meaning of an adjective which may be used to modify a noun areidentified. It is seen that the adjectival stems in isiZulu are very few. The need of theadjective is therefore also supplied by other categories such as the nominal relative, thecopulative with na, the copulative with NP, the stative verb and the descriptivepossessive.An overview is given in Chapter 2 of the views of earlier linguists such as Bhat, Dixon,Gross, Jones, Radford, Quirk, Doke, Du Plessis and Mabaso on the category: adjective.Dixon's prototypes are used in the classification of the semantic types of the abovementioned categories.The detailed account of the adjective, the nominal relative as well as the descriptivepossessive is given. The semantic features and the distribution of these types in a phraseare looked at in depth. Nominal relatives have a descripting meaning like adjectivesalthough they can be distinguished from adjectives in that they always have inflection andsecondly a relative does not have a prescribed number of stems from which it can beformed but it can be formed by the use of stems from other categories such as Noun (N).Chapter 5 gives an exposition of the descriptive possessive. It is seen that noun phrasesmay appear as complements of nouns. The possessive [a] in descriptive possessiveconstructions has no possessive meaning, instead it has a descriptive meaning. This [a]can be treated in the same way as the English of.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University