THE ADJECTIVE 57 The adjective may be reduplicated not to denote the plural but with the nuances described in $63. Derivative adjectives are handled in chapter vi, vide § 43. The syntax of the adjective is as follows: 1. As attribute, the adjective follows the substantive it qualifies, the demonstrative pronoun, if used, coming after the adjective. rumah besar a house of some size, orang berbangsa itu that well-born person, hulu-balang tĕrnama itu that dis- tinguished captain. II. (1) As predicate, it may come after the subject. Then, if the combination is merely substantive + adjective, rumah běsar the house is large, only intonation distinguishes this use of the adjective from its use as attribute. But if demonstra- tive or possessive pronoun is employed, then the pronoun follows the substantive immediately and not as in (J): rumah-nya besar his house is large; rumah itu bĕsar that house is large; rumah-nya itu besar that house of his is large. (2) More emphatically and frequently the adjective as predicate comes first (often with the emphatic Iah, § 87) and the substantive follows: hot běsar-lah rumah itu large is the house; termanis muka hamba more gracious is my face; berbangsa-lah raja. Mělayu well born are Malay princes. Comparison of Adjectives $ 32. The comparison of adjectives is expressed not by change in form of the adjective but by various methods of circumlocution. I. Equality of degree. This is denoted by (a) order and accent: pinang tinggi nyiur a betel palm as tall as a coco-nut
