Adjectives in Maþal are built from lexical roots and stand before the noun they describe.

They receive adjective endings that show:

Category	Meaning
type	weak or strong
degree	positive, comparative, superlative
agreement	gender and number, but only in strong adjectives

Maþal has two adjective types:

Type	Used with	Agreement
weak adjective	definite articles, possessives, demonstratives	no gender-number agreement
strong adjective	indefinite articles, numerals, predicative use	agrees in gender and number

Weak adjectives

Weak adjectives are used when the noun phrase is already definite.

This includes noun phrases with:

Context	Example meaning
definite article	the fast dog
possessive determiner	my fast dog
demonstrative determiner	that fast dog

Weak adjectives do not agree with the noun in gender or number. The same weak adjective form is used for common singular, common plural, neuter singular, and neuter plural.

The case marker stands before the whole noun phrase.

Weak adjective endings

Example root: blan = fast, swift, rapid

Degree	Ending	Example adjective	Meaning
positive	-ra	blanra	fast
comparative	-asa	blanasa	faster
superlative	-ast	blanast	fastest

Weak adjective examples

With definite article

Maþal	Meaning
Míne a’nektame ei:eng blanra fak.	I see the fast dog.

With possessive determiner

Maþal	Meaning
Míne a’nektame ei:meng blanra fak.	I see my fast dog.

With demonstrative determiner

Maþal	Meaning
Míne a’nektame ei:þeng blanra fak.	I see that fast dog.

Strong adjectives

Strong adjectives are used when the noun phrase is not already definite.

This includes noun phrases with:

Context	Example meaning
indefinite article	a fast dog
numeral	two fast dogs
predicative adjective	the dog is fast

Strong adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number.

Strong adjective endings

Example root: blan = fast, swift, rapid

Degree	Common singular	Common plural	Neuter singular	Neuter plural
positive	-re → blanre	-ro → blanro	-ri → blanri	-ru → blanru
comparative	-ese → blanese	-oso → blanoso	-isi → blanisi	-usu → blanusu
superlative	-est → blanest	-ost → blanost	-ist → blanist	-ust → blanust

Strong adjective examples

With indefinite article

Maþal	Meaning
Míne a’nektame ei:eþ blanre fak.	I see a fast dog.

With numeral

Maþal	Meaning
Míne a’nektame ei:batlo blanro fak.	I see two fast dogs.

Predicative adjectives

Predicative adjectives describe the subject after a linking verb, as in “the dog is fast.”

In this position, Maþal uses strong adjective endings. The adjective agrees with the subject in gender and number.

Structure
subject + linking verb + strong adjective

Example:

Maþal	Meaning
Fageng a’bener blanre.	The dog is fast.

Here, blanre is common singular because Fageng “the dog” is common singular.

Adverbial meaning

Maþal does not normally form separate adverbs like English “quickly,” “brightly,” or “slowly.”

Instead, Maþal usually expresses this meaning with the instrumental case.

Maþal	Meaning
Bruineng a’lýnjer ou:brínsiþ.	The sun shines brightly.
ou:léndiþ a’skǿser Reise øi:rúning.	She looked around slowly.

In these examples, the instrumental case ou: expresses manner.

So the structure is closer to:

English adverb	Maþal structure
brightly	with brightness
slowly	with slowness

Special forms: roots ending in -h

Roots ending in -h insert a before positive adjective endings that begin with r.

This keeps the forms clear and pronounceable.

Example root: gláh = happy, joy-related

Weak forms

Degree	Formation	Form	Meaning
positive	gláh + a + -ra	gláhara	happy
comparative	gláh + -asa	gláhasa	happier
superlative	gláh + -ast	gláhast	happiest

Strong positive forms

Gender / Number	Formation	Form
common singular	gláh + a + -re	gláhare
common plural	gláh + a + -ro	gláharo
neuter singular	gláh + a + -ri	gláhari
neuter plural	gláh + a + -ru	gláharu

Strong comparative and superlative forms

Comparative and superlative endings begin with a vowel, so no a is inserted.

Degree	Common singular	Common plural	Neuter singular	Neuter plural
comparative	gláhese	gláhoso	gláhisi	gláhusu
superlative	gláhest	gláhost	gláhist	gláhust

Special forms: roots ending in -r

Roots ending in -r insert a before positive adjective endings that begin with r.

This avoids an unclear rr sequence.

Example root: drer = kill, killing

Weak forms

Degree	Formation	Form	Meaning
positive	drer + a + -ra	drerara	killing, lethal
comparative	drer + -asa	drerasa	more lethal
superlative	drer + -ast	drerast	most lethal

Strong positive forms

Gender / Number	Formation	Form
common singular	drer + a + -re	drerare
common plural	drer + a + -ro	dreraro
neuter singular	drer + a + -ri	drerari
neuter plural	drer + a + -ru	dreraru

Strong comparative and superlative forms

Comparative and superlative endings begin with a vowel, so no a is inserted.

Degree	Common singular	Common plural	Neuter singular	Neuter plural
comparative	drerese	dreroso	drerisi	drerusu
superlative	drerest	drerost	drerist	drerust

Root-final cluster repair

If an adjective suffix would create three consonants in a row, Maþal inserts an epenthetic vowel between the root and the suffix.

The inserted vowel depends on the vowel of the adjective ending:

Ending vowel	Epenthetic vowel
e, i, a	ø
o, u	o

Example root: bríns = bright

The weak positive is not brínsra, because nsr would create three consonants in a row.

Formation	Surface form	Meaning
bríns + -ra	brínsøra	bright

Strong positive forms:

Gender / Number	Formation	Surface form
common singular	bríns + -re	brínsøre
common plural	bríns + -ro	brínsoro
neuter singular	bríns + -ri	brínsøri
neuter plural	bríns + -ru	brínsoru

Comparative and superlative endings begin with a vowel, so this repair is not needed there.

Degree	Form	Meaning
weak comparative	brínsasa	brighter
weak superlative	brínsast	brightest
strong comparative, common singular	brínsese	brighter
strong superlative, common singular	brínsest	brightest