A Practical Grammar of the PŒli Language
Chapter 7

Adjectives

Declension

196. Adjectives, like nouns, may be divided into those whose stem ends in a vowel and those the stem of which ends in a consonant.

To the student who has mastered the declension of nouns, that of Adjectives will present no difficulties.

Declension of adjectives in a

197. Adjectives in a form their Feminine by means of Œ mostly; some by means of ´.

198. The Neuter is obtained by adding µ to the stem.

199. The Masculine is declined like deva (122); the Feminine like ka––Œ (127), and the Neuter like rèpaµ (124).

Feminines in i are declined like nad´ (139).

200. Declension of BŒla (stem), foolish

201. We give here only a few examples of Feminine adjectives formed by means of ´ from stems in a.

Remarks. As said above these adjectives are declined like nad´ and therefore present no difficulty.

202. Adjectives in ´ (short)

203. Adjectives ending in i are declined like kapi, in the Masculine, and like vŒri, in the Neuter. The Feminine formed by means of ni is declined like nad´.

204. Declension of Bhèri (stem), abundant

205. Adjectives in ´ (long)

206. A numerous class of Masculine adjectives are derived from nouns by means of suffix i (an adjectival suffix not to be confounded with the Feminine suffix ´) (181, 2; 185).

207. The Masculine is declined like daö¶i.

208. The Feminine is formed by adding ni, before which final ´ is shortened; it is declined like nad´.

209. In the Neuter final ´ is shortened to i and is declined like vŒri.

210. Declension of Es´, wishing

211. Adjectives in u (short)

212. These are declined in the Masculine like bhikkhu, in the Feminine like nad´, and in the Neuter like cakkhu.

213. The Feminine base is formed by the addition of ni.

214. Declension of Garu (stem), heavy

215. Adjectives in è (long)

216. Adjectives in è form their Feminine by means of n´, è being shortened before it.

217. They are declined, in the Masc. like sayambhè, and in the Feminine like nad´ and in the Neut. like cakkhu.

218. Declension of Vi––è, wise

219. Adjectives with Consonantal Bases

220. Adjectives with consonantal bases are of three kinds:
(1) those the stem of which ends in at or ant.
(2) those the stem of which ends in mat or mant.
(3) those the stem of which ends in vat or vant.

221. All the adjectives in mat, mant, and vat, vant, are formed from nouns by means of suffixes mŒ and vŒ, (whose original base is mat and vat), which express possession of the quality or state indicated by the noun to which they are affixed.

222. It must, however, be remarked that vΠand mΠare not affixed indiscriminately. The following rule is invariable.

(a) Suffix vΠis added only to nouns ending in a.
(b) Suffix mΠis always added to nouns ending in i and u.

223. The Feminine is formed by adding ´ to either of the bases viz, mat, mant or vat, vant; for instance:

224. In the Nom., Acc., and Voc. sing. the Neuter is formed by adding µ after vŒ and mŒ, the long Œ being shortened (4, 34); and ni to the stem in vant and mant, for the Nom., Acc., and Voc. plural.

225. Declension of adjectives in at or ant

226. Declension of MahΠ(stem: Mahat, Mahant)

Remarks.
(a) The declension of mahŒ should be carefully studied, as all the Present Participles, in at and ant, as for instance gacchaµ or gacchanto, karaµ or karanto, pacaµ or pacanto, are declined like it.
(b) We have already given (167) the declension of arahaµ which, in the Nom. sing, has also the form arahŒ.
(c) The word santo (167) meaning a good man, is similarly declined; the form sabbhi, however, is also found in the Ins. and Abl. plural.

Exercise

Decline like mahaµ (stem: mahat, mahant), in the Masculine, Feminine and Neuter.
caraµ, caranto (stem: carat, carant) walking, roaming.
bhu–jaµ, bhu–janto (stem: bhu–jaÊ, bhu–jant) eating.
karaµ, karanto (stem: karat, karant) doing.
saraµ, saranto (stem: sarat, sarant) remembering.
vasaµ, vasanto (stem: vasat, vasant) living.
pucchaµ, pucchanto (stem: pucchat, pucchant) asking.

227. Declension of adjectives in mat or mant

228. Declension of Dh´mŒ, wise (stem: Dh´mat, Dh´mant)

Exercise

Decline like dhimŒ (stem: dh´mat, dh´mant), in the Masculine, Feminine and Neuter:
gomΠ(stem: gomat, gomant) a cattle owner.
puttimΠ(stem: puttimat, puttimant) having sons.
khŒnumŒ (stem: khŒnumat, khŒnumant) having stumps.
ketumΠ(stem: ketumat, ketumant) glorious, victorious lit., having banners.
hetumΠ(stem: hetumat, hetumant) having a cause.
cakkhumΠ(stem: cakkhumat cakkhumant) enlightened.

229. Declension of adjectives in vat or vant

Remarks. The declension of Adjectives in vat, vant is the same as that of those in mat, mant; the only difference being that, of course, v replaces m throughout.

230. Declension of GuöavŒ, virtuous (stem: guöavat, guöavant)

231. There is another not very numerous class of Adjectives formed from nouns and roots by means of suffixes Œv´ and v´.

232. The original stem of Œv´ and v´ is Œvin and vin and they therefore belong to the Consonantal declension. V´ is used after nouns, and Œv´ after roots.

233. The Feminine is formed by adding the Feminine suffix n´, before which final long ´ is shortened.

234. In the Neuter, final i is shortened in the Nom. and Voc. singular; in the plural, before Neuter suffix ni final ´ remains unchanged.

235. v´, like mŒ and vŒ, expresses possession.

The declension of these Adjectives presents no difficulty. They are declined in the Masculine like daö¶´, in the Feminine like nad´ and in the Neuter like vŒri.

236. Negative Adjectives

237. Negative Adjectives are obtained by prefixing to affirmative Adjectives the prefix a and ana.

Remarks. a is used before a consonant, and ana before a vowel.

Comparison

238. The Comparison of Adjectives is formed in two ways:
(1) by adding tara for the comparative and tama for the Superlative, to the Masculine bases of the Positive.
(2) by adding iya or iyya for the comparative, and iÊÊha, issika for the Superlative, to the Masculine bases of the Positive.

239. The Comparative and Superlative are declined in the Masculine like deva, in the Feminine like ka––a and in the Neuter like rèpaµ.

Examples

Remarks. Of the above Comparative and Superlative bases, the Masculine is, sucitaro, sucitamo; the Feminine, sucitarŒ, sucitamŒ, and the Neuter, sucitaraµ, etc., etc.

240. With many, we should say most, adjectives, the suffixes of (238-1) tara, tama or of (2) iya, iyya, iÊÊha, issika, may be used interchangeably.

Examples
pŒpatara or pŒpiya.
khippatara or khippiya.
pŒpatama or pŒpiÊÊha or pŒpissika, etc.

241. The comparatives in iya, iyya, are declined like mano (159).

It will be remarked that, before iya, iyya, iÊÊha and issika, the final vowel of the Positive Adjective is dropped.

243. Adjectives formed by means of the possessive suffixes, ma (mat), vŒ (vat) (221), and v´, vin (231), drop these suffixes and the vowel which precedes them, before iya, iyya, iÊÊha and issika.

Examples
(a) guöavŒ+iyo = guöa+iyo = guö+iyo = guöiyo.
Similarly: guö+iyyo, guöiyyo: guö-iÊÊha, etc.
(b) medhŒv´+iyo = medhŒ+iyo = medh+iyo = medhiyo
Similarly: medh-iyyo, medhiyyo; medh-iÊÊha, medhiÊÊha, etc.
(c) satimŒ+iyo = sati+iyo = sat+iyo = satiyo
Similarly: sat-iyyo = satiyyo; sat-iÊÊha = satiÊÊha, etc.

244. Tara may be superadded to the Superlative iÊÊha, as, pŒpiÊÊhatara.

245. The Acc. sing. of most Adjectives is used adverbially.

246. The Absolute Superlative is formed by prefixing ati to the Positive adjective:

atikhippa, very quick, extremely quick, too quick.
atippasattha, very excellent.
atithoka, very little, too little, excessively little.

247. Some Adjectives form their Comparison irregularly.

248. Any substantive is used in the sense of an adjective when it is the last member of a bahubbihi compound (see chapter on compounds, bahubbihi) qualifying a noun or a pronoun expressed or understood.

249. The noun thus used, whether Feminine or Neuter, assumes the form of the Masculine.