Adjective derivation through affixation in the Ulch language in comparison with Nanai and Orok languages

The paper studies morphological derivation in the Ulch language, presenting an overview of adjective derivation by means of suffixes. Over twenty patterns are listed and described in detail, including the data on the affixes used, the semantic alteration they inform to the base, the specifics of their compatibility with core words from different lexical categories and various semantic groups within specific parts of speech. In the Ulch language, adjectives can be formed from the words of various lexical categories: nouns, verbs, adverbs, pronouns, numerals, and other adjectives. However, nouns and verbs are most actively featured in derivation patterns of adjectives, with the rest represented by a few models with medium to low productivity. Noun-to-adjective and verb-to-adjective derivations display a wide range of semantic modification through affixes, establishing different types of relationships between derivatives and core words, indicated by special suffixes. Some of the most widely used are defined by: ‘presence of the object indicated by core noun,’ ‘presence of the quality indicated by core noun,’ ‘origin indicated by core noun,’ ‘result of action indicated by core verb,’ ‘affinity to the action indicated by core verb,’ ‘inability to perform the action indicated by core verb,’ etc. The comparison with Nanai and Orok derivation systems has revealed a significant overlap between the patterns used for adjective production. At the same time, some of the suffixes typical for the Ulch language proved not to be present in Nanai and Orok at all, while the others show distinct differences in the meaning they communicate or the types of stems they can be connected to.

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