5.3. Adjuncts
Some adjectives can be modified by adjuncts, i.e. constituents they do not select. The relation between adjective and adjunct typically involves causality or comparison.
In a causal relation, the adjunct provides a justification or a reason. In the example below, the clausal adjunct explains why the subject of the sentence is happy.
1meet2 happy
‘I am happy to see you.’
Note that the preferred order is clausal adjunct + adjective, as shown in the example above.
In comparisons, the adjunct usually follows the adjective and presents a similarity or dissimilarity between two or more entities. In the two examples below, the adjuncts identical tomato (a) and as_if carrot (b) modify colour adjectives.
a. face red identical tomato
‘(His) face is as red as tomato.’
b. hair colour orange as_if carrot
‘(His) hair is as orange as carrot.’
