Enough or Too Much

Level 4

Adjective + unay expresses high degree, including “too expensive” in shopping. Nagayad means “sufficiently long” for such things as garments and eaves.

How It Works

Place unay after an adjective to strengthen its degree, without an intervening linker. Compare Napigsa ti angin “The wind is strong” with Napigsa unay ti angin “The wind is very strong.” The adjective supplies the property; unay supplies intensity. These predicates have no gender ending.

A high degree can exceed an acceptable limit. The lessons use Nangina unay as “too expensive” in shopping, while the grammar guide illustrates the same combination as “very expensive.” Context determines the evaluation. The adjective nalabes separately names excess, but its lexical meaning does not establish a general “too … to …” complement pattern.

Sufficiency is lexical in nagayad, formed with the prefix na- and gayad: it means sufficiently long, especially of garments or eaves. In Nagayad ti badona, attached -na identifies the garment’s owner without specifying gender. This attested adjective does not make na- a general “enough” marker; broader sufficiency complement syntax remains unestablished here.

Examples (3)

  1. Nangina unay ti sapatos.

    The shoes are too expensive.

    Said by a shopper rejecting the price. This context selects the attested excessive-price reading; the same words can describe a very high price without rejection.

  2. Napigsa unay ti angin.

    The wind is very strong.

    Napigsa names the property and unay strengthens it. The sentence does not itself specify an exceeded limit.

  3. Nagayad ti badona.

    His or her garment is sufficiently long.

    Nagayad supplies the restricted sufficient-length meaning. Badona contains the attached third-person singular possessor -na.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Enough or Too MuchLevel 4

Learn This First

Unay strengthens a property; context can make that degree excessive.