6.1 Regular Adjective Declension
Novegradian adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, and case. The same endings are used for all adjectives, as there aren't multiple declensions. The genders all coalesce in the plural. Demonstrated with цервене cérvene "red" (singular on the left, plural on the right):
| Masculine | Neuter | Feminine | Plural | ||
| Nominative | цервен-е (cérvene) |
цервен-о (cérveno) |
цервен-а (cérvena) |
цервен-и (cérveni) |
|
| Genitive | цервен-а (cérvena) |
цервен-ѣ (cérveně) |
цервен-Ø (cérven) |
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| Accusative (Animate) |
цервен-а (cérvena) |
цервен-ѣ (cérveně) |
цервен-Ø (cérven) |
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| Accusative (Inanimate) |
цервен-Ø (cérven) |
цервен-о (cérveno) |
цервен-у (cérvenu) |
цервен-и (cérveni) |
|
| Dat./Instr. | цервен-ом (cérvenom) |
цервен-ой (cérvenoi) |
цервен-ами (cérvenami) |
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| Partitive | цервен-а (cérvena) |
цервен-оу (cérvenou) |
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| Locative | цервен-ѣ (cérveně) |
цервен-ѣх (cérveněh) |
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| Lative | цервен-ун (cérvenun) |
цервен-они (cérvenoni) |
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The endings as a whole are very similar to the nominal endings, as they were in both Common Slavic and Proto-Indo-European (though note the partitive singular in -a, not in -ok/-ek). The stress also never shifts. If the adjective stem ends in a cluster, an epenthetic /o/ will be inserted in the GenPl as in the nominal declension. The w+consonant rule seen in nouns also applies here: NomSgMasc глауне gláune "important" > GenPl глаун gláun ['gla.won] (dialectical главон).
If the noun an adjective modifies is animate and the direct object of a sentence, the genitive case form of the adjective must be used, since the noun will also be in the genitive.
6.2 Definite Adjective Declension
The definite adjectives are derived from the Common Slavic definites, formed by attaching the declined anaphoric pronoun *-j- to the end of the "indefinite" forms, those shown in the chart above. Since the anaphoric pronoun was in origin a demonstrative, it had the effect of strengthening the adjective and serving as a sort of 'pointer' to single a certain noun out of a group. The distinction between definite and indefinite adjectives was lost in most other Slavic languages, except in East Slavic, where both forms were preserved but with wholly different functions. The definite adjective still survives with something close to its original function in the Baltic languages and in North Slavic. In Novegradian, they have also become entwined with the topicalization system.
The emphatic forms, once again with цервене "red":
| Masculine | Neuter | Feminine | Plural | ||
| Nominative | цервен-ей (cérvenei) |
цервен-ое (cervénoie) |
цервен-ая (cervénaia) |
цервен-ие (cervénije) |
|
| Genitive | цервен-аево (cervenáievo) |
цервен-ѣе (cervéněie) |
цервен-их (cervénih) |
||
| Accusative (Animate) |
цервен-аево (cervenáievo) |
цервен-ѣе (cervéněie) |
цервен-их (cervénih) |
||
| Accusative (Inanimate) |
цервен-ий (cérvenij) |
цервен-ое (cervénoie) |
цервен-аю (cervénaiu) |
цервен-ие (cervénije) |
|
| Dat./Instr. | цервен-ием (cervénijem) |
цервен-оюн (cervénoiun) |
цервен-иеми (cerveníjemi) |
||
| Partitive | цервен-аево (cervenáievo) |
цервен-овево (cervenóvevo) |
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| Locative | цервен-ѣѣм (cervéněiěm) |
цервен-иех (cervénijeh) |
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| Lative | цервен-уюн (cervénuiun) |
цервен-онево (cervenónevo) |
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The inanimate accusative masculine singular ending -ий is phonetically [əj].
There are two stress patterns seen in definite adjectives. The first (and more common) is known as the antepenultimate system, like цервене above, where:
- In the masculine nominative singular and masculine inanimate accusative singular, the stress is on the same syllable as in its indefinite forms.
- In the genitive plural, it falls on the penult, as the ending -ih is a contraction of an earlier -ijih.
- In all other forms (including the genitive plural if the stem ends in a cluster), stress falls on the antepenultimate syllable.
The other system is ending-stress, where:
- In the masculine nominative singular and masculine inanimate accusative singular, the stress is on the same syllable as in its indefinite forms.
- In all other forms, the stress is on the first syllable of the ending.
Which adjectives use which pattern must be memorized. However, most adjectives that include the derivational suffix -ск- -sk- use ending-stress.
As the stress moves around, consonants may voice as they do with nouns: NomSgMasc великей velíkei "great", GenSgMasc велигаево veligáievo.
The shifting stress can sometimes cause vowel changes as well, for historical reasons. This is usually the result of a former nasal vowel. Adjectives with a vowel change in their definite forms are always ending-stressed. The normal vowel (as seen in the indefinite forms) is kept in the nominative singular masculine, but changes in all other definite forms. One of the most common examples is крате kráte "steep". When declined in the nominative case as a definite adjective, the forms are: кратей krátei, крудая krudáia, крудое krudóie, крудие krudíje.
Because there are so few adjectives with such a vowel change, there has been a tendency across the years to regularize them. In standard Novegradian the change in крате is required, but others, such as тежке téźke "heavy" > тижкая tiźkáia, are now rarely seen outside of poetry and highly formal registers. The regularized тежкая teźkáia has supplanted тижкая in the standard.
6.3 Comparatives
Novegradian, as with several other Slavic languages, only has a comparative degree of adjectives. A superlative can be formed, but it is generally not used unless the context cannot disambiguate the situation.
The comparative is formed quite regularly by adding -ш- -ś- immediately after the stem, or a stressed -ейш- -éiś- if it ends in a fricative, affricate, or if an unwieldy cluster would form, and then adding a slight variant of the regular adjective endings (see below). The addition of -ш- causes the stress in all forms to shift over one syllable (if possible) toward the end of the word, unless it would cause the syllable beginning in ś to be accented (in other words, the stress will move to the right by one syllable if anything but the last syllable of the stem is usually stressed). If the stem ends in a velar consonant and is multisyllabic, the velar will generally drop entirely. If there is a velar consonant and the root is monosyllabic, the -ейш- -éiś- ending is used.
- цервене cérvene "red" > цервенше cervénśe "redder"
- плоне plóne "full" > плонше plónśe "fuller"
- интересне interésne "interesting" > интереснейше interesnéiśe "more interesting"
- приглубе priglúbe "deep" > приглубше priglúbśe "deeper"
- вайке váike "difficult" > вайгейше vaigéiśe "more difficult" (note the voicing)
- велике velíke "great" > велише velíśe "greater"
Monosyllabic roots ending in /s z t d/ usually undergo a palatalization instead of taking the full ending -ейш-. If the palatalized consonant is intervocallic, proper pronunciation calls for a geminate consonant, though a single consonant is more common in unrestricted speech.
- вуисе vuíse "high" > вуихье vuíhje "higher" (pronounced /'βwiççe/ or /'βwiçe/)
- близе blíze "close" > блиғье blíğje "closer" (pronounced /'blʲiʝʝe/ or /'blʲiʝe/)
- горде górde "proud" > горгье gorgje "prouder" (pronounced /'gorɟe/)
/β/ becomes /w/ before -ше (but note that a small set of adjectives with stems ending in /β/ take -ейше instead, mostly those where the /β/ is not derivational, but part of the root).
- годове godóve "ready" > годоуше godóuśe
- лѣниве lěníve "lazy" > лѣниўше lěníwśe
Adjectives ending in /nne/ (ie, a root ending in /n/ followed by the derivational affix -n-) generally lose one /n/ and then add -ше. However, the geminate remains in spelling:
- истинне ístinne "true, genuine" > истиннше ístinnśe
- оединне oiédinne "lonely" > оединнше oiedínnśe
The adjective пунтне púntne ['pun.ne] "exact, accurate" has the comparative form пунтше púntśe [pun.sʲe]. While irregular in spelling, in pronunciation it is regular according to the above rule.
And there are some adjectives that are simply irregular, shown in the table below:
| Adjective | Meaning | Comparative |
| авине ávine | clear, obvious | аунше áunśe |
| болише bóliśe | big | болше bólśe |
| вазке vázke | narrow | вашкье váśkje |
| вељке véłke | damp, humid | вељгоше vełgóśe |
| гасте gáste | thick, dense | гашкье gáśkje |
| глазке glázke | sleek, smooth | глатце glátce |
| ғодене ğódene | worthy | ғоднейше ğodnéiśe |
| дамне dámne | (for a) long (time) | дамнейше damnéiśe |
| добре dóbre | good | суѣше suě́śe |
| дољге dółge | long (time) | дољже dółźe |
| драге dráge | expensive | драже dráźe |
| куризке kurízke | spicy | куришкье kuríśkje |
| малене málene | small | менише méniśe |
| исте íste | true, genuine | ишкье íśkje |
| леғке léğke | easy, light | легоше legóśe |
| меғке méğke | soft, mild | меғце méğce |
| ниске níske | low | нижне níźne |
| позне pózne | late | позше pózśe ['posʲ.sʲe] |
| просте próste | simple | прошкье próśkje |
| пусте púste | empty | пушкье púśkje |
| рамне rámne | flat, even | рамнейше ramnéiśe |
| сладоке sládoke | sweet | слагье slágje |
| сухе súhe | dry | суше súśe |
| тежке téźke | heavy | теже téźe |
| тихе tíhe | quiet | тише tíśe |
| тољсте tółste | fat, thick | тољшкье tółśkje [tow.ʃce] |
| туирде tuírde | hard, firm | туергье tuérgje |
| худе húde | bad | хуже húźe |
Comparative adjectives use the same endings as other adjectives, with one difference: any suffixes that begin with /o/ are changed to /e/, for both types of adjectives. The genitive epenthetic vowel also becomes /e/. Цервенше cervénśe, therefore, declines like this:
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6.4 Superlatives
A superlative may be made by attaching the prefix най- nai- to the comparative form: найвелише naivelíśe "greatest", найболше naibólśe "largest", найхуже naihúźe "worst". When an adjective begins with a vowel, that vowel takes its iotafied form, though the й in the prefix is still redundantly written: авине "clear" > найяунше naiiáunśe.
This prefix is to be avoided when at all possible; it is considered poor style to overuse it.
6.5 Other Degrees and Prefixes
In addition to the comparative and superlative, Novegradian adjectives can mark two other degrees - the intensive and the excessive. Like the superlative, these are both prefixial and optional. However, unlike the superlative, their use is encouraged, as overuse of adverbs to express the same concept is considered poor style.
The prefix пре- pre- means "very", and intensifies the quality already expressed by the adjective. It is attached to the absolute degree of the adjective (ie, the base definite or indefinite form, never a comparative base) and is generally unstressed. On a few adjectives, it is almost required in place of seperate adverbials (eg, прекрасне prekrásne "very beautiful", almost never *велем красне vélem krásne).
The stressed prefix во- vó- means "too (much)", and indicates excess. It is added to the comparative base of an adjective: воближе vóbliźe "too close".
If either prefix is added to an adjective beginning with a vowel, that vowel takes its iotafied form: преявине preiávine "very evident".
There is one other adjective degree known as the "trial superlative", formed by the prefix тре- tre-. It is frequently and productively used in literature and storytelling, but has very limited functionality elsewhere.
In literature and liturgical contexts, it is used to indicate a superlative, though it also has connotations of great importance: тресуете tresuéte "thrice-holy, most holy". It is also used hyperbolically, as in the common folkloric opening На Тредевитиех Жемлах, на Тредежитѣѣм Царестўѣ (Na Tredevítijeh Źemláh, na Tredeźítěiěm Cárestuě) "In the Thrice-Nine Lands, in the Thrice-Ten Tsardom", used to refer to a far away land.