II. In both languages ma- is the chief adjectival formative: Kamb. malinu, " useful "; Hova malutu, " dirty ".
III. Both languages also use the formatives ka-, pa-, ta-, before vowels k-, p-, t-, in order to form a limited number of adjectives: Kamb. kapatan, "dark", word-base in Mal., viz. petan, " evening " ; Hova hetri < ka + etri, " growing slowly ", word-base etri, " to diminish " — Kamb. tabana, " full " ; Hova taburi, "round" — Kamb. paita, " visible "; Hova fulaka < pa + ulaka, " folded, bent ", word-base ulaka, "bend".
IV. Neither language possesses any adjectives denoting the material of which a thing consists. The substantival name of the material is simply put after the word that is to be qualified. A " stone house " is " house + stone": Kamb. uma watu; Hova tranu watu.
V. Both languages can turn the adjective into a substantive by means of the article: Kamb. na mahamu, " the good (thing) "; Hova ni marina, " the right (thing) ".
VI. After adjectives which express a state of mind the word for " mind " is added without any connecting word of form: Kamb. mahamu eti = " good + heart" = "good-hearted "; Hova afa-pu, by sandhi from afaka fu = " free + heart " = " contented ".
- ↑ This disposes of the hasty and premature observation in my " Prodromus ", § 8, ad fin.