Adjective Phrase in Arabic and English
Adjective Phrase in Arabic and English
Adjective Phrase in Arabic and English
A Presentation in Contrastive
Linguistics
Part Two
Presented by
Supervised by
Section One
1. Introduction
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Adjectives are words or phrases that characterize the object
denoted by a noun. They are one of the traditional eight parts of
speech. They can be formed from two or more words that are
hyphenated as in the three-year-old child and a two-week journey.
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distinctions that can be drawn between adjectives and nouns in Arabic. For
example,
عادلmay be a noun proper (the just one) or an adjective (just) Similarity
between the two classes is greater than difference. Both nouns and
adjectives take the definite article العادل, الرجل, رجل.
Both show number, gender and case contrasts (ةaaa مدرس, رجالن ذكيان
ذكي, اذكياء, رجال, رجل,مدرس ذكي, ) ذكيةThe main difference between these
two classes may be stated thus: the categories of definiteness, number,
gender and case are either selective (definiteness and case) or Inherent in
nouns (number and gender). In adjectives, they are part of what is known
as agreement or concord: adjectives are considered subordinate to the
noun they modify and have to agree with it in number, gender, case and
definiteness;
things
المهندسان الذ كيان و المهندس الذكي: المهندسين الذكيين
Arabic adjectives follow the noun they modify and agree with it in
gender, number, case, and definiteness. Arabic adjectives can occur as
heads of noun phrases. Consider the following example:
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()تابعtheir syntactic function، however, they are said to be followers of
the noun head in that they agree with it in gender, number, case, and
definiteness.
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Many adjectives are used exclusively in attributive position:
complete, only, medical, lawful, main, former, latter. For
example,
He is a complete
food. He is the
only nominee.
Predicative: They function as subject or object complements.
For example,
The dress is blue.
They seem happy.
A few adjectives are used in exclusively predicative position:
ill, aware, asleep, afraid, alight, alive. For example,
He felt ill.
The child is asleep.
Postpositive: They usually follow indefinite pronouns or
nouns. For example,
Anyone intelligent can do it .
I consider her smart .
Arabic adjectives are used attributively and predicatively.
noun, e.g.,
جاء رجل طويل القامة
The adjective طويلis indirectly connected with الرجلbut indirectly with
القامة.In this construction, the adjective agrees with the preceding noun
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indefiniteness and case only. The number of the adjective is usually
singular .
2. Predicative adjectives function as predicates in nominal sentences
(often no copula, verbal or otherwise is required): e.g. الولد ذكي. The
relation between the two parts of the nominal sentence is Intensive.
A verbal copula is used to indicate past time كان الولد صبورا, or
future time سيكون الطفل قويا.
Arab grammarians call the two parts of the sentence (المبتدأsubject or
theme) and ( الخبرPredicate). In such sentences, the adjective
realizes the role of 'predicate).
The adjective may as well as the subject be definite, in which case a
separable pronoun is inserted between the two parts of the sentence
to indicate that the relation holding between the two is predication,
no modification. زيد هو الصادق
A pronominal copula is used when both parts of the nominal sentence are
definite.e.g الرجل الواقف هو المدير
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e.g., awake, worried careful, frequent, public private. Some
others take either the inflected forms or more and most, e.g.,
gentler, gentler; narrower, more narrow.
Trisyllabic words: These always take more and most only, e.g.,
beautiful, practical.
Participial adjectives take the periphrastic form
(more/most interesting)
Some adjectives do not have comparative and superlative
forms, e.g., awake, male, unique. Other adjectives take irregular
inflection, e.g., old-elder-eldest.
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Cairo Is the largest city in Africa القاهرة أكبر مدن افريقيا
No comparative form افعل, is possible for adjectives derived from verbs
with passive sense, or for adjectives denoting colour or defect, since these
latter adjectives have the form افعلin the absolute: اعرج احمر. In such
cases an alternative, periphrastic construction is used, where the
comparison used with a noun اشد. احسن. أقبحIs realized by means of such
words as derived from the adjective: رةaaد حمaaاش. The following noun is
placed in the objective case.
1.5 Adjectives complementation in English language
Many adjectives in predicative position can be followed by any of
three types of complements.
Prepositional phrase: He is keen on music.
Noun clause: I'm sure (that) they will attend the meeting.
Section Two
Contrast.2
The similartise 2.1
1. Both English and Arabic adjectives are used attributively and
predicatively.
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2. Both English and Arabic adjectives are used to describe a noun
and give more information about it.
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2. Arabic adjectives are more explicit than the English ones
because they show agreement with the noun they modify in
number, gender, case and definiteness.
References
Aziz, Y. 1989. A Contrastive Grammar of English and Arabic.
Mosul: University of Mosul.
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Crystal (2003). A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics.5th
ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publisher LTD
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