In:The New Arabic Lexicon and its Words: Root-based and templatic morphosyntax
Abdelkader Fassi Fehri
[Language Faculty and Beyond 21] 2026
► pp. 101–146
Chapter 4Adjectives, derivations, gradation, and other functional domains
Published online: 23 March 2026
https://doi.org/10.1075/lfab.21.c4
https://doi.org/10.1075/lfab.21.c4
Article outline
- 4.1Preliminaries: Arabic adjective words and classes
- 4.1.1Derivation of adjectives
- 4.1.2Postnominal and prenominal contrasts
- 4.1.3A third derivational class: The elative comparative
- 4.1.4Superlative formation
- 4.1.5Argument structure of QA adjectives
- 4.1.6Some properties of RA adjectives
- 4.1.7A fourth derivation class: Participial adjectives
- 4.1.8Some unifying formal syntactic features of adjective words
- 4.2Adjectives in the Deg/Q gradation/scale system
- 4.2.1Essentials of comparative morphosyntax
- 4.2.1.1Essential components of the comparative construction
- 4.2.1.2Forming the synthetic elative
- 4.2.2Basic semantics
- 4.2.3Degree Quantifier as heading DegP and QP
- 4.2.4Argument structure of morphological comparatives
- 4.2.5More on the structure of the CC
- 4.2.6Parallels between QA/PA adjectives
and synthetic/periphrastic comparatives - 4.2.7Min DP: what is it? Properties and Tropes
- 4.2.1Essentials of comparative morphosyntax
- 4.3Adjectives as states, their argument structure,
and the Asp/T (v/voice) system- 4.3.1Status with respect to the Davidsoninan eventuality argument
- 4.3.2Essential structural differences between adjectives and PA’s
- 4.3.2.1Argument structure
- 4.3.3Psych adjectives, their arguments, and structures
- 4.3.4Stimulus/Experiencer alternations
- 4.3.5More limitations on adjective structures: No external roles
- 4.4Further discussion
- 4.4.1States or Degrees? (properties?)
- 4.4.2Further elaboration on the semantics of comparatives:
Deriving from root or category - 4.4.3Scales and segments?
- 4.5Color adjectives, and other color categories
- 4.5.1Color adjectives
- 4.5.2Nouns and event nouns
- 4.5.3Color verbs
- 4.5.4Participles
- 4.5.5Gradability and CC
- 4.6Conclusion
Notes
