by Max Wheeler
adequat (m.) adequada (f.) adequate enfeinat (m.) enfeinada (f.) busy
eixerit (m.) eixerida (f.) smart humit (m.) humida (f.) damp
mut (m.) muda (f.) dumb temut (m.)etc. temuda (f.) feared
There is a considerable number of adjectives displaying the c-g alternation such as:
feixuc (m.) feixuga (f.) heavy gallec (m.) gallega (f.) Galician
feréstec (m.) feréstega (f.) wild groc (m.)etc. groga (f.) yellow
Contrasting with the last two sets are masculine adjectives ending in -t or -c which is already present in the stem. In such cases these stem consonants are maintained in the feminine.
(i) Adjectives ending in -t with feminine in -ta
All those ending in -et (including words containing the diminutive suffix; see 4.1.5):
abstret (m.) abstreta (f.) preoccupied
analfabet (m.) analfabeta (f.) illiterate
complet (m.) completa (f.) complete
contrafet (m.) contrafeta (f.) counterfeit
estret (m.) estreta (f.) narrow/tight
estretet (m.) estreteta (f.) nice and tight
net (m.) neta (f.) clean
secret (m.) etc. secreta (f.) secret
etc.
All those ending in -ot:
devot (m.) devota (f.) devout
remot (m.) remota (f.) remote
tot (m.) tota (f.) all, whole
etc. with the exception of got-goda ‘Gothic’ and its compounds ostrogot Ostrogothic’ and visigot ‘Visigothic’.
All those endins in unstressed -it:
inèdit (m.) inèdita (f.) unpublished
insòlit (m.) insòlita (f.) unusual
pretèrit (m.) pretèrita (f.) past
etc.
There follows a list of most of the adjectives ending in -at, -it, or -ut in which t is retained in the feminine:
absolut absoluta absolute
barat barata cheap
beat beata blessed
beneit beneita simple, holy
brut bruta dirty
carabrut carabruta dirty-faced
caut cauta wary
confit confita preserved
contrit contrita contrite
convolut convoluta convoluted
cuit cuita cooked
diminut diminuta diminutive
dissolut dissoluta dissolute
eixut eixuta dry
erudit erudita learnèd
escrit escrita written (compounds of escrit inflect the same way)
favorit favorita favourite
finit finita finite
fit fita fixed
fortuït fortuïta fortuitous
grat grata pleasing
gratuït gratuïta free of chargegratuitous
hirsut hirsuta hirsute
immediat immediata immediate
imperit imperita inexpert
impol·lut impol·luta unpolluted
inaudit inaudita unheard-of
infinit infinita infinite
ingrat ingrata ungrateful, disagree able
innat innata innate
insensat insensata senseless
lat lata broad
manuscrit manuscrita handwritten
perit perita skilled
petit petita small
sensat sensata sensible
susdit susdita aforesaid
timorat timorata God-fearing
(ii) Among adjectives ending in -c, the following endings retain c unaltered
-aic
arcaic (m.) arcaica (f.) archaic
laic (m.) etc. laica (f.) lay
etc.
-ac (unstressed)
elegiac (m.) elegiaca (f.) elegiac
maniac (m.) maníaca (f.) maniacal
etc.
-ic (unstressed)
bàsic (m.) bàsica (f.) basic
màgic (m.) màgica (f.) magic
etc.
This -ic/-ica group is quite large, with only two exceptions: aràbic/aràbiga ‘Arabic’ and mústic/mústiga ‘faded’.
-oc (unstressed)
equívoc (m.) equívoca (f.) ambiguous
unívoc (m.) unívoca (f.) unambiguous
The following examples complete the list of adjectives ending in invariable -c:
eslovac eslovaca Slovak
flac flaca lean
opac opaca opaque
quec queca stammering
rebec rebeca obstinate
sec seca dry
suec sueca Swedish
txec txeca Czech
txecoslovac txeco Czecho-
slovaca slovakian
The adjectives inic ‘iniquitous’, oblic ‘oblique’, propinc ‘neighbouring’, and ventríloc ‘ventriloquous’ derive from stems ending in /-kw/ and, therefore, their feminine correlatives are iniqua, obliqua, propinqua and ventriloqua.
4.1.2.3 Adjectives ending in -s
A voiced sibilant [z] is also unpronounceable in word-final position in Catalan. For this reason masculine forms of adjectives whose stem ends in this sound turn it into its unvoiced correlative [s]. It is then unpredictable on the basis of the masculine singular form alone, ending in -s, whether its feminine form will contain intervocalic [s] (written ss) or [z] (written s). See 37.3.2. The majority of adjectives whose masculine ends in s preceded by a vowel also show single -s- (pronounced [z]) in the feminine (and plural). For example:
abundós (m.) abundosa (f.) abundant (pl. abundosos/-es)
cortès (m.) cortesa (f.) polite (pl. cortesos/-es)
francès (m.) francesa (f.) French (pl. francesos/-es)
gris (m.) grisa (f.) grey (pl. grisos/-es)
precís (m.) precisa (f.) precise (pl. precisos/-es)
etc.
The alternation -s (m.)/-ssa (f.) with m.pl. -ssos and f.pl. -sses – is found in adjectives containing the augmentative suffix -às (4.1.5) or the derivational suffix -ís:
-às:
dolçàs (m.) dolçassa (f.) sickly sweet
grandàs (m.) etc. grandassa (f.) great big
etc.
-ís:
oblidadis (m.) oblidadissa (f.) forgetful
massís (m.) massissa (f.) solid
etc.
The following is a comprehensive list of the remaining adjectives showing an unvoiced [s] in the feminine (-ssa) (and in the plural -ssos/-sses):
agios aglossal
confés confessed
cras gross
escàs scarce
esmús blunt
espès thick
exprés express
gras fat
gros big (the compounds of gros, e.g. bocagròs inflect in the same way)
cella-ros with fair eyebrows
rus Russian
suís/suïssa Swiss
hipoglòs hypoglossal
inconcús unshakable
las weary
malaltús sickly
mestís half-caste
mus blunt
naquis tiny
obsés obsessed
postís false
profés professed
revés complicated
ros fair
ros fair
talòs dull-witted
4.1.2.4 Adjective stems in -/·/-
With l· being unpronounceable in final position, it reduces to -l in masculine singulars, but it remains in feminines, before the -a ending: gal/gal·la ‘Gaulish’, nul/nul·la ‘null’, tranquil/tranquil·la ‘calm’. Apart from this set, though, the majority of adjectives ending in -l are of the ‘one ending’ type, that is, have no distinct feminine singular form (see 4.1.3).
4.1.2.5 Adjectives ending in -ig
A voiced palatal fricative [Ʒ] (represented in other positions by g/j) is unpronounceable in Catalan in word-final position and is replaced by an affricate (written -ig). It is impossible to determine from the masculine singular form if the stem ended originally in a fricative or in an affricate and, therefore, whether the feminine will have a final -ja (fricative) or -tja (affricate).
feminines ending in -tja: lleig/lletja ‘ugly’, mig/mitja ‘half’
feminines ending in -ja: boig/boja ‘mad’, roig/roja ‘red(-haired)’
4.1.2.6 Adjectives ending in semiconsonantai -u
Adjectives whose masculine singular ends in semiconsonantal -u follow one of three different patterns in the feminine. The commonest is for -u to alternate with -va as in:
blau (m.) blava (f.) blue
còncau (m.) còncava (f.) concave
efectiu (m.) efectiva (f.) effective
viu (m.) viva (f.) living
nou (m.) nova (f.) new
tou (m.) tova (f.) soft
etc.
This pattern accounts for all adjectives ending in -au or -ou, and the vast majority of those in -iu. The second pattern retains semiconsonantal -uin the feminine; it is found in four adjectives in -iu which do not follow the more general pattern above:
geliu (m.) geliua (f.) icy
joliu (m.) joliua (f.) dainty
nadiu (m.) nadiua (f.) native
soliu (m.) soliua (f.) solitary
The third pattern is found only among adjectives in -eu, but accounts for the majority here; u is cut off and is replaced by -a in the feminine:
ateu (m.) atea (f.) atheist
europeu (m.) europea (f.) European
hebreu (m.) hebrea (f.) Hebrew
plebeu (m.) plebea (f.) plebeian
etc.
Two adjectives in -eu have -eua in the feminine: garneu/garneua ‘crafty’ and moreu/moreua ‘dark’; two have -eva in the feminine: jueu/jueva ‘Jewish’ and sueu/sueva ‘of the Suevi’. The possessive adjectives meu ‘my’, teu ‘your’, seu ‘his/her/their/your’ have in the feminine meva or meua, teva or teua, seva or seua.
4.1.2.7 Other adjective alternations
Anàleg ‘analogous’ has anàloga in the feminine; similarly homòleg/homòloga ‘homologous’, heteròleg/heteròloga ‘heterologous’; sacrileg/sacrilega ‘sacrilegious’ is regular.
A few adjectives ending in -or have, alongside a regular feminine ending in -ora, an alternative irregular form. These are: motor ‘motive’ and its compounds, which has both motora and motriu; accelerador ‘accelerative’ has acceleradora and acceleratriu; retardador ‘decelerative’ has both retardadora and retardatriu. The irregular -triu forms of these adjectives seem most often used with the noun força ‘force’, e.g. força electromotriu ‘electromotive force’. The mathematical term osculador ‘osculatory’ has feminine osculadora and osculatriu.
4.1.3 ADJECTIVES INVARIABLE FOR GENDER (ADJECTIVES WITH ONE ENDING)
Many adjectives show the same form for masculine and feminine singular. There are several word endings which generally indicate an invariable adjective: -a, -e, -al, -el, -il, -ar, -ant, -ent (for -ç see 4.1.3.4), However, there are some exceptions for most of these endings.
4.1.3.1 Adjectives with one ending: vowel endings
All adjectives whose masculine ends in unstressed -a are invariable: celta ‘Celtic’, cosmopolita ‘cosmopolitan’, feixista ‘fascist’, hipòcrita ‘hypocritical’, idiota ‘idiotic’, indígena ‘indigenous’, persa ‘Persian’, etc. (with invariable plurals celtes, cosmopolites, feixistes, hipòcrites, idiotes, indígenes, perses, etc.).
The great majority of adjectives ending in unstressed -e are invariable, including all those ending in -ble, and all those with the suffix -aire. Thus: bilingüe ‘bilingual’, celeste ‘celestial’, enorme ‘enormous’, feble ‘weak’, jove ‘young’, lliure ‘free’, noble ‘noble’, possible ‘possible’, salvatge ‘savage’, unànime ‘unanimous’, etc. (and plural bilingües, celestes, etc.).
A significant minority of adjectives in -e do vary for gender, however, and should be noted. Among adjectives ending in a consonant + re most have -a in the feminine:
altre altra other
nostre nostra our
negre negra black
neutre neutra neutral
pobre pobra poor
etc.
Those with one ending despite terminating in consonant + re are:
-membre ‘-membered’ (bimembre, trimembre)
-estre (e.g. alpestre ‘alpine’, campestre, eqüestre, pedestre, rupestre, silvestre, terrestre)
-rostre (e.g. brevirostre ‘short-billed’)
acre bitter
alegre cheerful
cafre kaffir
cèlebre celebrated
diedre dihedral
fúnebre funereal
golafre gluttonous
il·lustre illustrious
lacustre lake-dwelling
mediocre middling
salubre salubrious
insalubre insalubrious
triquetre triangular
lúgubre mournful
The remaining exceptions to the principle that adjectives in -e are invariable are the following:
ample ampla broad
còmode còmoda comfortable
culte culta cultured
ímprobe ímproba dishonest
lledesme lledesma legitimate
omnímode omnímoda all-encompassing
probe proba upright
prompte prompta quick
univalve univalva univalve
bivalve bivalva bivalve
vague vaga vague
Adjectives with other unstressed vowel endings show the regular ‘two endings’ in the singular, with addition of -a in the feminine: propi/pròpia ‘own’, fenici/fenícia ‘Phoenician’, vacu/vàcua ‘vacuous’, etc. Of adjectives ending in unstressed -i only two are invariable: cursi ‘affected’, and ianqui ‘Yankee’; likewise there are two in -u: bantu ‘Bantu’ and zulu ‘Zulu’. (Note the forms bantu and zulú are no longer current.) No adjectives ending in unstressed -o are invariable, thus flonjo/flonja ‘spongy’, and so on.
Almost all adjectives whose masculine singular ends in a stressed vowel add -na in the feminine; see above 4.1.2.1, The following only are invariable:
afí related
bengalí Bengali
carmí carmine
rococó rococo
hindú Hindu
manxú Manchu(rian)
papú Papuan
4.1.3.2 Adjectives with one ending: consonantal endings
The following endings generally indicate an adjective invariable for gender in the singular:
-al e.g. global ‘global’, igual ‘equal’, mundial ‘world’, verbal ‘verb’, ‘verbal’ and hundreds of others, with the single exception of mal/mala ‘bad’.
-el cruel ‘cruel’, fidel ‘faithful’, and rebel ‘rebellious’. Exception: paral·lel/ paral·lela ‘parallel’ (and antiparal·lel).
-il stressed and unstressed, e.g. humil ‘humble’, subtil ‘subtle’, fàcil ‘easy’, inútil ‘useless’; exceptions are: tranquil/tranquil·la ‘calm’ (see above, 4.1.2.4), and those adjectives ending in -dàctil (such as monodàctil/ monodàctila ‘having one finger’), in -òfil (such as catalanòfil/catalanòfila ‘Catalanophile’) and in -stil (hipòstil/hipòstila ‘hypostyle’, pròstil/pròstila ‘prostyle’).
-ant e.g. constant ‘constant’, pedant ‘pedantic’, semblant ‘similar’, etc. There are the following exceptions: gegant/geganta ‘giant’, quant/quanta ‘how much?’/‘how many?’, sacrosant/sacrosanta ‘sacrosanct’, sant/santa ‘holy’, tant/tanta ‘so much’.
-ent e.g. decent ‘decent’, obedient ‘obedient’, prudent ‘careful’, etc. The exceptions are atent/atenta ‘attentive’, content/contenta ‘happy’, cruent/ cruenta ‘bloody’, and all those ending in -lent (including lent/lenta ‘slow’, dolent/dolenta ‘bad’, calent/calenta ‘hot’, valent/valenta ‘bold’, and so on) except for equivalent ‘equivalent’ which is invariable. A number of adjectives in -ant/-ent which in the standard language are invariable in the singular have a feminine in -a in colloquial (nonstandard) usage, e.g. amargant ‘bitter’, bullent ‘boiling’, picant ‘hot (to taste)’: (non-standard: amarganta, bullenta, picanta, then corresponding non-standard femini
ne plurals amargantes, bullentes, picantes).
-ar stressed, e.g. familiar ‘family’, regular ‘regular’, similar ‘similar’, titular ‘titular’, etc., except for the following: avar/avara ‘miserly’, car/cara ‘dear’, clar/clara ‘clear’, entreclar/entreclara ‘partly clear’, ignar/ignara ‘ignorant’, preclar/preclara ‘illustrious’, rar/rara ‘rare’.
-or Among the adjectives ending in -or most have feminines in -a, such as sonor/sonora ‘sonorous’, prometedor/prometedora ‘promising’, opressor/ opressora ‘oppressive’.
Exceptions are:
(i) those ending in -erior, such as superior ‘superior’, anterior ‘previous’;
(ii) the synthetic comparative adjectives millor ‘better’, pitjor ‘worse’, major ‘greater’, menor ‘less(er)’;
(iii) most compounds of -color ‘colour’, such as multicolor ‘multicoloured’, unicolor ‘of one colour’, but not incolor/incolora ‘colourless’.
4.1.3.3 Other adjectives with one ending
The list of remaining exceptions is not large. Sources differ on precisely which items to mention here (mostly because various sources include in the list one or more nouns, which may be used appositively). Some of these, like breu, gran, greu, suau, are extremely frequent. They are arranged by termination:
àrab Arab nictalop nyctalopic suau gentle
núvol cloudy ametrop ametropic insuau ungentle
sublim sublime mudèjar Mudejar ileu light
gran large púber pubescent breu short
partícip participant impúber under the age greu serious
miop short-sighted of puberty procliu prone
etíop Ethiopian ligur Ligurian cloc-piu downcast
hemeralop hemeralopic mat matt
Note that, for all these adjectives with consonantal endings, an invariable singular form is matched by an invariable plural: