In this paper, I try to examine the structures of the composite adjectives in the Central Dialect of Modern Tibetan. As a conclusion, I propose that the structures of the composite adjectives are as follows:
(a) [_<NP>N [_<AP>[VP] Adj]]
(a') [_<NP>[[_<AP>[VP] Adj] CM(=GI)] N]
(b) [[VP] Adj]
(a) shows that N is modified by the composite adjective following it. (a') is the premodifying version of (a) with the GI Case Marker, (b) shows that the whole VP joins to the Adj and the AP doesn't modify a specific noun.
1. Modifying structures of composite adjectives
In Tibetan, adjectives usually follow the nouns which they modify.
Simple adjectives normally cannot precede the noun, not even with the GI Case Marker. The phrase which is accompanied by the GI Case Marker becomes a nominal. So adjectives also have to become nominals. We find it difficult for simple adjectives to become nominals because they're not allowed to be accompanied by the GI Case Marker.
Composite adjectives also follow the nouns to be modified, but sometimes precede them with the GI Case Marker. Composite adjectives are in principle allowed not only to follow the nouns which they modify but also to precede them with the GI Case Marker accompanying them.
If the modified noun is a proper noun, however, composite adjectives aren't allowed to follow the noun but have to precede it with the GI Case Marker.
So we assume that the composite adjective following the noun is in the attributive use and that preceding the noun is in the non-attributive use.
2. Lack of case marker
In the attributive use, the modified nouns lose their case marker.
(a) The noun with a case marker is included in the VP which joins to the adjective.
[_<VP>[_<NP> N CM] V] Adj]
(b) The noun without a case marker is not included in the VP which joins to the adjective and is modified by the composite adjective attributively.
[_<NP> N][_<AP>[_<VP> NP V] Adj]
'tepo has both the structure of (a) and that of (b).
^-khaapo has the structure of (b) only.
In the structure of (b), the NP is raised from the VP, which joins to the Adj, to the place of subject of the upper structure which is an adjective predicate.
3. Nominalizer -yaa
-yaa is a marker of the sentential nominal, so the VP followed by -yaa has the structure of a sentence. So the nominal clause of the VP followed by -yaa includes complete NP's which are accompained by case markers.
When the noun is not allowed to be followed by a case marker, it has been raised from the VP, in which it was included, to the place of subject of the upper structure which is an adjective predicate.
The VP part of the composite adjective is also nominalized, but the degree of nominalization by -yaa is higher than that of a composite adjective.