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    Num+N+s
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    The suffix -s occurs in synthetic compounds, after a numeral and noun. In this way, adjectives may be derived. An example is fjouwerpits four-ring-SUFF with four rings (of a gas burner).

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    The suffix -s is involved in synthetic compounds together with a numeral and a noun. With respect to the numeral, both cardinal and ordinal numerals occur. Typically for a synthetic compound, the base form in itself, without the suffix, is often ungrammatical, cf. *twastien two-stone. Examples are given in the table below:

    Table 1
    numeral noun suffix Translation
    twa two stien stone -s twa-stien-s double-stoned
    trije three tomme thumb -s trije-tom-s three inches deep
    achttjin eighteen karaat carat -s achttjin-karaat-s eighteen-carat
    tredde third jier year -s tredde-jier-s third year (student)
    earste first dei day -s earste-dei-s first day

    Other instances of the suffix -s derive adjectives from material nouns, which is discussed in -s with a noun as base. Furthermore, the suffix -s may form adjectives from interjections (see -s with interjection as base). As is also the case in these types of derivation, synthetic compounds with this suffix cannot occur in predicative position. So, in contrast to de twapersoans keamer the double room, we have an ungrammatical result in *de keamer is twapersoans the room is two-person-SUFF.

    These derivations can also act as the adjectival modifier of AN compounds. The stress is then on the adjectival first member, as in twapersoanskeamer two-person-SUFF-room [[twapersoans](A)[keamer(N)](N) double room. In a phrase, the main stress is on the noun, for example in de twapersoans keamer the two-person-SUFF room [(NP)de [(A)twapersoans] [(N)keamer]] the double room.

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    Literature

    This topic is partly based on Hoekstra (1998:138) and Hoekstra (1992).

    References
    • Hoekstra, Jarich1992Eigenskipswurden op -sFriesch Dagblad11-04Taalsnipels 121
    • Hoekstra, Jarich1998Fryske wurdfoarmingLjouwertFryske Akademy
    About this article
    Author(s): Siebren Dyk, Joke Weening
    Category: Frisian Morphology
    Keywords: synthetic compoundadjectival
    Version: 1.0, December 2023
    Version history:
    version editor(s) date remarks
    1.0 Siebren Dyk December 2023
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