Adjaktiivi

Adjaktiivi is a term encountered in some linguistic writings to denote a class of words that function as adjectives in modifying nouns. The use of the label is not standardized; it appears chiefly in certain Finnish- and Finnic-language grammars and in cross-linguistic discussions that seek to highlight fine-grained adjectival phenomena. In these sources, adjaktiivi can refer to adjectival forms that either originate from other word classes (notably verbs or nouns) or that show particular inflectional or derivational properties compared with “ordinary” adjectives. Because terminology varies by author, some grammars treat adjaktiivi as a historical or stylistic label, while others treat it as synonymous with deverbal adjectives or with a broader concept of adjectival forms.

Morphology and syntax: Adjaktiivit typically participate in the same syntactic positions as adjectives, i.e., attributive modifiers before nouns and predicate adjectives after linking verbs. In languages with rich inflection, they may agree with the noun in number, case, or gender or participate in degree comparison. Some definitions emphasize their diachronic origin (deverbal or deverbal-derived adjectives) or their semantic specialization (qualities such as size, color, or texture), whereas others emphasize their productivity as a word-formation class.

Examples: A common cross-linguistic analogue is the set of deverbal adjectives in English like broken or running, which behave like adjectives while deriving from verbs. In Finnic grammars, similar forms may be described under the adjaktiivi label to distinguish their origin or inflectional behavior from other adjectives.

See also: adjective, deverbal adjective, nominal modifier. Notes: This is a specialized term with variable scope; consult the cited grammar for the precise definition.