====== Grammar of adjectives ======
There are three groups of adjectives in Black Speech:
  - short single-syllable adjectives, often attached to the words they describe;
  - polysyllable adjectives written separately;
  - formed from other words (mostly nouns) by adding suffix //**-ûrz**// ((there are short adjectives ended with //-ûrz// like //bûrz// and //lûrz// which belong to the first category)) (thus also polysyllable standalone words);

Usually languages with extensive inflection of [[grammar_noun|nouns]] have adjectives agreed with nouns in [[grammar_case|case]], [[grammar_gender|gender]] and [[grammar_number|number]]. But no signs of adjectives' inflection were found in [[tolkien_word_list|Tolkien's Black Speech]]. The main reason is that **short** adjectives are usually attached to nouns as [[clitics]] (as in //sharkû//). In such situation adjective's ending affects noun's declension class and it's case and number suffixes are placed //after// a combined word. In [[black_speech_dialects#shadowlandian|Shadowlandian Black Speech]] where only unanimated nouns have number ending, adjectives describing animated nouns take suffix of number for clarification (but not case suffixes) anyway. [[Nûrlâm]] suggests that either both words must have no plural ending (standard variant) or both take it (modern / colloquial use). 

In example, short adjective //kû// (old) attached to noun of 1st declension class, e.g. //orn// (tree), makes the resulting word belonging to 2nd declension class. If short adjective is written separately then it has no agreement in case with noun, the same as long adjectives.

^ noun ^ adjective  ^ case ^ number ^ result   ^ translation       ^
| orn  | //(none)// | -u   | -z     | ornuz    | towards the trees |
| orn  | kû         | -zu  | -z     | ornkûzuz | towards old trees |
| orn  | nirgûrz    | -ir  | -∅     | ornir nirgûrz | on rotten tree(s) |
| olog | kû         | -∅   | -∅     | olog kû  | old troll(s) |
| golug | kû        | -∅   | -û/z     | golugû kûz | old elves |

Keep in mind, that suffix //-ûrz// is supposed to form adjectives from nouns. Verbal adjectives (like English "stinky") should be translated as [[grammar_participle|participles]] ("pushdug", see [[Orcish curse]]) or [[grammar_gerundive|gerundive]] ("pushdat" = lit. "stinkable").

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===== Degree of comparison =====
Nûrlâm has two degrees of comparison: //comparative// (formed by suffix //-ar//) and //superlative// (made by adding suffix //-az//). Their suffixes are placed //after// derivative suffix //-ûrz// if it's present, but //before// plural suffix if used. If adjective is ended with vowel then suffix //-z-// is inserted before them. These forms are always written standalone even adjective's root consists of only one syllable. There is no special forms (like English "more", "most", "less", etc.).

^ normal ^ comparative form ^ superlative form ^
| mik (little) | mik**ar** (smaller) | mik**az** (the smallest, least) |
| kûz (old, //pl.//) | kû**zar**û (older) | kû**zaz**û (eldest) |
| dulgûrz  (sharp) | dulgûrz**ar** (more sharp) | dulgûrz**az** (the most sharp) |

Comparative form is often used with conjunction //snû// (than) + <word in //accusative// case> or just <object in //genitive//>. E.g. the phrase "//smaller than he//" can be translated into Black Speech either as "//mikar tab//" or "//mikar snû tash//".

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===== Suffix order =====
{{page>include:suffix_chain_adjective}}

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===== Word order =====
While [[black_speech_dialects#shadowlandian|Shadowlandian dialect]] suggests that //all// adjectives should be placed //after// nouns in proper [[syntax]], in Nûrlâm it's considered [[archaic_style|archaic]]. All Tolkien's examples of this rule (Lugbûrz, sharkû) are combined words where short adjectives become clitic. So Nûrlâm assumes that long stand-alone adjectives (especially comparatives) may be placed //before// nouns. When long adjective is placed after noun in Black Speech text, it usually means that verb "[[verb_to_be|kulat]]" (to be) is omitted between them. However many examples throughout this wiki have adjectives placed after nouns due to influence of Shadowlandian and stylistic reasons (e.g. avoiding further similarity to English). Short adjectives are often attached after noun's root. Short adjectives are written separately if there are more than one describing the same word, especially when joined by word "agh" (and). 



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===== Links =====
  * [[syntax_determiner|Adjectival phrases]]
  * [[wp>adjective|Wikipedia]] page about Adjectives.