Revisiting Adjectives in Diraytata

Abstract

In this contribution, I discuss adjectives in Diraytata, an East Cushitic language spoken in Diraashe district, southern Ethiopia. It was claimed that the category of an adjective is not clear-cut in all Cushitic languages. In some other studies, it is further claimed that there are no adjectives in the East Cushitic group and hence adjectival functions are carried out either by verbs or nouns. However, the present study argues for the presence of an independent category of adjective different from noun and verb categories in Diraytata. This category subsumes both primitive (underived) and derived adjectives (contrary to the previous work). Hence, adjectival functions are carried out by adjectives but not by “adjectival words” that belong either to the category of nouns or verbs.