Datapoint Early Sranan/Comparative adjective marking

When moro follows a property item such as langa 'long', it functions as a pass/exceed verb that marks the standard. The standard cannot be omitted. In the construction ju langa, langa can be assigned a nominal reading ('your tallness') as well as a predicative adjective status ('you are tall'). When moro preceeds the property item, several readings are possible. Here it can be a verb marked by the imperfective aspect marker de, or it can be a degree word that modifies langa. In the latter case de is a copula.

Values

Adjective is marked Frequency: 70.0%

Example 1-106:
Ju langa morro mi. / Ju langa morro na mi. / Ju de morro langa leki mi.
Yu
2sg
langa
long
moro
exceed
mi.
1sg
/
 
Yu
2sg
langa
long
moro
exceed
na
than
mi.
1sg
/
 
Yu
2sg
de
asp/cop
moro
more
langa
long
leki
like
mi.
1sg
You are taller than me.
German: Du bist länger, grösser als ich. [op.cit.]

Source: Schumann 1783: 98

Confidence:
Very certain

Adjective is not marked Frequency: 30.0%

Example 1-107:
A grandi va mi.
A
3sg.sbj
grandi
old
fu
for
mi.
1sg
He is older than me.
German: Er ist älter als ich. [op.cit.]

Source: Schumann 1783: 53

Confidence:
Very certain