Editing Middle Persian (section)

====Adjectives====

=====Agreement=====

Originally, adjectives had the same inflectional categories as nouns and took the same endings. When used independently as nouns, they still have number inflection: ''weh-ān'' (''ŠPYLʾn'') 'the good (people)'.<ref name="Skjærvø 2007h"/> When they are used as attributive modifers of nouns, however, agreement is optional and, while it remains common in Manichaean Middle Persian, it is increasingly rare in Book Pahlavi, where, e.g. both ''abārīgān gyāgān'' (''ʾp̄ʾrykʾn gywʾkʾn'' ) 'other places' and ''abārīg dēwān'' (''ʾp̄ʾryk<nowiki>'</nowiki> ŠDYAʾn'') 'other demons' have been attested. When the modifying adjective is introduced by the relative particle ''ī'', as well as in predicative position, it never takes the plural suffix: e.g. ''mardān ī weh'' (''GBRAʾn Y ŠPYL'') 'good men'.<ref>Расторгуева & Молчанова 1981: 63–64</ref><ref name="Sundermann 1989d">Sundermann 1989: 156</ref>
Some sources also assert that the original singular oblique case ending ''-ē'' (''-y'') is seen in attributive preposed adjectives in some examples: e.g. ''čē-š asar karb az asar'''ē''' rо̄šnīh frāz brēhēnīd'' (''MEš ʾsl klp MN ʾsly lwšnyh prʾ<u>c</u> blyhynyt'') 'for he created the eternal form from eternal light'.<ref name="Расторгуева 1966c">Расторгуева 1966: 52</ref>

=====Comparison=====

Comparison of adjectives (as well as adverbs) is regularly expressed with the comparative degree suffix ''-tar'' (spelt ''-tl'') and the superlative degree suffix ''-tom'' (spelt ''-twm''),<ref name="Sundermann 1989d"/><ref name="Skjærvø 2007g">Skjærvø 2007: 85</ref> or possibly ''-tum'';<ref>Расторгуева & Молчанова 1981: 64</ref> in Manichaean, they also have the allomorphs ''-dar'' and ''-dom'' after voiced consonants. For example, ''abēzag'' (''ʾp̄yck') 'pure' ''is compared ''abēzag-tar'' 'purer''' – ''abēzag-''tom'' 'purest'<nowiki/>''.<ref name="Skjærvø 2007g"/> ''

There are also some irregular or relict forms reflecting more ancient suffixes (comparative ''-y'' or ''-īy'' or resulting [[I-umlaut|fronting of the preceding vowel]], superlative ''-ist'') and/or [[suppletion]]:<ref name="Skjærvø 2007g"/><ref name="Расторгуеваe">Расторгуева & Молчанова 1981: 64–65</ref><ref name="Sundermann 1989d"/>

{| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
!positive
!comparative
!superlative
!meaning
|-
|''xо̄b''/''xūb'' (''xwp'')
|''weh'' (''ŠPYL''),

Manichaean also ''wahy'' or ''wahīy''

(sp. ''why'')
|''pahlom'' (''pʾhlwm''),

''pāšom''/''pašom'' (''p''(''ʾ'')''šwm'');

cf. ''wahišt'' (''whšt''')

'paradise'
|'good'
|-
|''wazurg''/''wuzurg'' (''LBA'', ''wc''(''w'')''lg'')
|''meh'' (''ms''),

''mahistar'' (''mhstl'');

Manichaean also ''mahy'' or ''mahīy'' (sp. ''mhy'')
|''mahist'' (''msst''')
|'big'
|-
|''kо̄dag''/''kо̄dak'' (''kwtk''')
|''keh''

(''ks'')
|''kahist'' (''ksst''')
|'small'
|-
|''was'' (''KBD'')
|''wēš'' (''wyš''),

''frāy'' (''plʾy''),

''freh'' (''plyh'')
|''frāyist'' (''plʾyst'''),

''frahist'' (''plh''(''y'')''st''')
|'much',  'a lot', 'many'
|-
|''kam'' (''km'')
|''kem'' (''kym'')
|''kamist'' (''kmyst''')
|'a little', 'few'
|-
|''garān'' (''glʾn''')
|''grāy''

(''glʾy'')
|''grāyist'' (''glʾyst''')
|'heavy,  serious'
|-
|''nazd'' (''nzd'')
|<nowiki>-------</nowiki>
|''nazdist'' (''nzdst''')
|'near', in superlative also 'first'
|-
|''dо̄šag'' (''dwšk''')
|<nowiki>-------</nowiki>
|Manichaean:

''dо̄šist'' (''dwšyst'')
|'beloved'
|}

In some cases, only a 'superlative' form exists without corresponding positive and comparative forms: ''bālist'' (''bʾlyst<nowiki>'</nowiki>'') 'supreme, highermost', ''nidom'' (''nytwm'') 'lowermost', ''bēdom'' (''bytwm'') ''outermost'', ''fradom'' (''AWLA'') 'first', ''abdom'' (''ʾp̄dwm'')  'last'.<ref>Skjærvø 2007: 85, 86</ref>

The object of comparison for an adjective in the comparative degree is introduced by the preposition ''az'' (''hc'') 'from', the subordinating conjunction ''kū'' (''AYK'') 'where, that'<ref name="Расторгуеваe"/> or, more rarely, ''čiyо̄n'' (''cygwn<nowiki>'</nowiki>'') 'as':<ref>Skjærvø 2007: 86</ref> ''о̄y az/kū/čiyо̄n tо̄ о̄zо̄mandtar'' (''OLE MN/AYK/cygwn<nowiki>'</nowiki> LK ʾwcʾmndtl'') 'he is stronger than you.'
The object of comparison for an adjective in the superlative degree is introduced by the preposition ''az'' (''hc'') or simply by a possessive construction: ''о̄y (az) mardʾn о̄zо̄mandtom'' (sp. ''OLE (MN) GBRAʾn ʾwcʾmndtwm'') ''<nowiki/>'''he is the strongest of the men'.<ref>Skjærvø 2007: 86–87, Расторгуева & Молчанова 1981: 64. Examples original.</ref>

=====Placement=====

When adjectives modify a noun without the help of any linking particle, they usually precede them,<ref name="Skjærvø 2007o">Skjærvø 2007: 26</ref> but may occasionally follow them, too.<ref>Расторгуева & Молчанова 1981: 65</ref><ref name="Sundermann 1989d"/> A far more common possibility than either is for the adjective to be introduced by the relative particle ''ī'', on which see the relevant section. Thus, e.g. 'a/the big house' can be expressed as ''wazurg mān'' (''LBA mʾn<nowiki>'</nowiki>), mān wazurg'' (''mʾn<nowiki>'</nowiki> LBA'') or ''mān ī wazurg'' (''mʾn<nowiki>'</nowiki> Y LBA'').