Note 14 — INTRODUCTION

One difference which sets off roots that are basically verbs from roots that are basically nouns and adjectives is that verb roots may occur unaffixed with the meaning ‘action of [doing so-and-so]’ whereas nouns and adjectives may not: Thus, lakaw ‘walk’, túyuk ‘turn’ are verbs because they occur unaffixed as nouns meaning the action of walking, turning: káda lakaw níya, ‘each time he walked’; káda túyuk níya, ‘each time he turned around’; but karsúnis ‘trousers’, ayruplánu ‘airplane’ are not because they do not occur in this meaning. (To express ‘action of wearing trousers’ the prefix pag- must be added to the noun karsúnis: Gidilì ang pagkarsúnis dinhi, ‘It is forbidden to wear pants here.’ Similarly a pag- must be added to ayruplánu to make a noun meaning ‘action of ...’: Ang pag-ayruplánu makapadali sa byáhi, ‘Taking a plane hastens the trip.’

Roots that are basically adjectives are distinguished from noun roots in that they occur with a prefix ka- in exclamations to mean ‘how very [adjective]!’ whereas nouns do not. Thus buguy ‘tramp’ is an adjective because it occurs with ka- in this meaning: kabuguy níya ‘what a tramp he is’, whereas kutsi ‘car’ is not. (To express, ‘what a car!’ the suffix -a(←) is used, not ka-: Ngilngígang kutsíha uy! ‘My! What a car!’)