5.1 Adjectives

Tailaa adjectives and other modifiers are syntactically subordinate to the noun or verb phrase it modifies. An adjective must agree in number with the noun it is modifying, using the same suffixes as nouns. Adverbs generally don't agree. Modifiers come after the term modified. Take with sample eda 'small, cute, little, childish' inflected to agree with nouns:

cailie eda 'in the small house'
cailia edia 'in the small houses'
cailiva ediva 'all the small houses'

5.1.1 Comparatives

In Tailaa, there are three levels of comparatives. Comparatives are marked with a particle following the adjective, and to form comparative phrases various postpositional phrases are used.

Superior Comparative
The superior comparative of a modifier marks a comparative degree (i.e., a degree used when comparing two or more entities) that indicates the modified entity to possess a greater degree of the modifier, e.g., 'more grey; more small'. This comparative's characteristic particle is mita/mutä.

cailie eda mita 'the smaller house'
cailiva sunduvä mutä 'all of the greyer houses'
cailia edia mita 'a/the smaller houses'

Inferior Comparative
The inferior comparative of a modifier marks a comparative degree that indicates the modified entity to possess a lesser degree of the modifier, e.g., 'less grey; less small'. This comparative's characteristic particle is ille/ullo.

cailie eda ille 'a/the less small house'
cailiva sunduvä ullo 'all of the less grey houses'
cailia tääliä ullo 'a/the less big houses'

Superlative
The superlative of a modifier marks a degree that indicates the modified entity to possess the greatest degree of the modifier, when comparing three or more entities, e.g., 'most grey; most small'. This comparative's characteristic particle is sita/sutä.

cailie eda sita 'a/the smallest house'
cailiva sunduvä sutä 'all of the greyest houses'
cailia tääliä sutä 'a/the biggest houses'

To form noun-based comparative phrases (e.g., 'more people', 'more fruit'), the quantifiers sölrös 'more', söllia 'less', sölssö 'most' are utilized (see below).

There are generally three ways to form phrases with such modifiers. To form a comparative phrase, postposition sela/solä 'than, in comparison to' is used. The noun this postposition modifies takes the ablative case. For example:

iente ai myvärä solä täälö vi mutä 'a/the rock that is bigger than a/the tree'
iente ai myvärä solä täälö vi ullo 'a/the rock that is less big than a/the tree'

In a superlative phrase, the partitive postposition mi/mu 'of, out of, per' is used. The noun this postposition modifies takes the subessive case. For example:

iente täälö sutä mi ientivalie 'a/the biggest rock of all rocks'

One may also use any general static case: (cf. 3 Nouns § 3.3 Cases § 3.3.2 Static Cases)

iente täälö sutä ai myväuään 'a/the biggest rock in a/the forest'

In an equative phrase (one indicating two entities to have an equal degree of the modifier), postposition siel/suol 'as, like, akin to' is used. The noun this postposition modifies takes the ablative case. The adjective itself is in its base form. For example:

iente ai myvärä na suol täälöuo 'a/the rock that is as big as a/the tree'

5.1.2 Derivations

Aside from comparatives, Tailaa showcases various derivational systems for the generation of many new terms and words for adjectives. Modifier terms can be derived from other verbs, nouns, or modifiers. Like in nouns and verbs, these can be recursively applied. Derivational endings appear directly following the root.

Diminutives
Like in nouns and verbs, which both have the diminutive derivation, modifiers may take this derivation, a modifier to modifier derivation that conveys a slighter degree of its root's meaning. Like in verbs, this refers to a weaker form of the root adjective. Unlike in the inferior comparative, this is derivational and is purely semantic. The derivation's characteristic ending is shared with the noun and verb diminutive, being form one and two -eal/oäl, form three -lia/liä.

uoloäl = 'mildly cold, cool'; from uolo 'cold'
suivoäl = 'mildly hungry, peckish'; from suivö 'hungry'

Augmentatives
Likewise, adjectives may take the augmentative derivation, a modifier to modifier derivation that conveys a greater degree of its root's meaning. This refers to a more intense form of the root adjective. As aforementioned, this is different from a superior comparative, being a semantic derivation. The derivation's characteristic ending is shared with the noun and verb augmentative, being -(i)ean/oän.

hallarean = 'very smart, genius'; from halmar 'smart'
iemaiean = 'very hot, burning, scorching'; from iema 'hot'

Carenitives
A carenitive is a modifier to modifier derivation that indicates a modifier being at a degree that isn't sufficient, or not enough. The derivation's characteristic ending is form one and two -yla/ylä, form three -nca/ncä.

ulylä = 'not deep enough'; from ulö 'deep'
siyllä = 'not sweet enough'; from siyl 'sweet, lucious, beautiful'

Immoditives
An immoditive is a modifier to modifier derivation that indicates a modifier being at a degree that is too great. It is the opposite of the carenitive. It also is used to form a pejorative form of the adjective. The derivation's characteristic ending is form one and two -aca/äcä, form three -craa/crää.

tääläcä = 'too big; boastful, arrogant, bloated'; from täälö 'big, important'
iltaca = 'too weak; flimsy, hapless, useless'; from ilte 'weak, lax'

Adversatives
An adversative is a modifier to modifier derivation that indicates a modifier's semantic opposite. It is different from general negation, which indicates a modifier not being present, instead of a direct antonym. The derivation's characteristic ending is -(k)aa/ää.

palppaiaa = 'reasonable, sensible, grounded'; from palppa 'silly, foolish'
pvöiää = 'clean, unblemished'; from pvö 'dirty'

Adverbial
An adverbial is a derivation that forms an adverb, i.e., a part of speech that modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, from an adjective. Like adjectives, they go after the entity they modify. The derivation's characteristic ending is form one and two -ilö/ulö, form three -ldö.

pissinilö = 'thirtily'; from picin 'thirsty'
lainillö = 'sadly, melancholically'; from laina 'sad, lonely, melancholy'

Possessives
A possessive is a noun to modifier derivation that indicates the modified entity having, being full of, or being made of the root term. The derivation's characteristic ending is form one and two -an/än, form three -hda/hdä.

cucän = 'full of fear, afraid'; from cucö 'fear'
ärrorän = 'full of peace, peaceful'; from ärnor 'peace, equanimity'

Privatives
A privative is a noun to modifier derivation that indicates the modified entity lacking the root term. The derivation's characteristic ending is form one -is/us, form two -itö/utö, form three -tö.

liraadö = 'limitless, edgeless'; from liraa 'limit, extremity'
valiris = 'kingless, rulerless'; from valir 'king'

Relationals
A relational is a noun to modifier derivation that indicates the modified entity pertaining to, originating from the root term. The derivation's characteristic ending is form one and two -ail/äul, form three -lta/ltä.

saiaalla = 'riverine, fluvial, river-born'; from saiai 'river'
myuäuväul = 'sylvan, nemoral, forest-born'; from myväum 'forest'

Similatives
A similative is a noun to modifier derivation that indicates the modified entity being similar or alike with the root term. The derivation's characteristic ending is form one -es/os, form two -is/us, form four -s/s.

mälus = 'child-like, childish'; from mälö 'child, baby, kid'
cullynos = 'wolf-like, sly'; from culcyn 'wolf, hound'

Past Participles
A past participle is a verb to modifier derivation that indicates the modified entity having undergone the root term. The derivation's characteristic ending is form one -ea/oä, form two -as/äs, form three -ve/vo.

öccäs = 'eaten'; from öccö 'to eat, consume'
eivienea = 'written'; from eivien 'to write, inscribe'

Present Participles
A present participle is a verb to modifier derivation that indicates the modified entity is doing or does the root term. The derivation's characteristic ending is form one and two -ese, form three -se.

pattaase = 'gifting'; from pattaa 'to gift, give'
iindase = 'burning'; from iinda 'to burn, set aflame'

Abilitatives
An abilitative is a verb to modifier derivation that indicates the modified entity is able to do the root term. The derivation's characteristic ending is Form one -(a)re.

tirare = 'visible'; from tir 'to see'
iäunüro = 'believable, trustable'; from iäunü 'to believe, trust'

5.2 Numerals and Quantifiers

5.2.1 Numerals

Numbers in Tailaa are highly systematic, and based on a base-7 system, but can be irregular. The ordinary counting numbers (cardinals) from 0 to 14 and powers of seven are given in the table below. Cardinal numerals have root forms for 1 to 7, as well as terms for powers of seven, zero, and infinity (though the two latter are sometimes analyzed as quantifiers). They may be inflected and some of the inflected forms are irregular in form.

While not true ordinals, lirieasi 'another, one more' and ervasi 'last, final' take a quantifier-like meaning.

Both ordinals and cardinals may act as modifiers, pronominals, or nouns. For example, ria 'two may be used as a modifier as in cullyr riä 'two claws', or as a noun as in ria seimiivin seicve 'two is a small number', or as a pronoun as in rian öccöuor o 'I have eaten two'. They are inflected as modifiers and nouns are. When used as a modifier they agree in harmony with the noun, but unlike normal adjectives do not agree otherwise. Ordinals may also function as adverbs.

To form larger numerals, addition and multiplication is used. To mark addition, interfix -(e)n(e)- is used, with the smallest value first:

erenile 'one + seven, eight'
siynenile 'six + seven, thirteen'

To multiply, numerals are compounded:

ilmeile 'five × seven, 35'
riaitia 'two × fourty-nine, 98'

Used together, multiplication is placed first regardless of size:

ilmeilener 'five × seven + one, 36'
riaitianile 'two × fourty-nine + two, 100'

To form ordinals from these, suffix -(s)i used:

ilmeileneresi '36th'
riaitianenilesi '100th'

While some numbers like 8 can be represented in multiple ways like erenile (seven + one), or rialaile (two × four), multiplication is usually preferred. Thus, numbers 8-15 are:

5.2.1 Quantifiers

A quantifier is a type of determiner, such as all, some, many, few, a lot, and no, (but not specific numerals) that indicates quantity. Like in numerals, nouns that are modified by quantifiers take the simple plural number, and they agree in harmony with the noun. Likewise, they can take pronominal meanings. Main quantifiers are shown below:

Many of them originated from the old root seolttö "sand, gravel, grain, particle" (modern Tailaa sölttö 'sand, gravel'). Like nouns, they may function pronominally: Sölssö neliaanes oäluio su 'Most would like apples'. They also may be stacked: siliaa söllia vaa 'no less foxes'; siliaa lirieasi söl 'many additional foxes'.