Universal Survey of Languages Universal Survey of Languages Dhimal Morphology Nominals in Dhimal include adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and nouns. Many nouns, adjectives, and adverbs derive from verbs by way of suffixation. The nominalizing suffix ka is affixed to a verb stem to create a nominal, which can also be used as an adjective. Grammatically speaking it is difficult to distinguish between adjectives and verbs. Subordination of clauses through the use of nominalization is common.
Pronominals make no sex distinctions.
Affixing, compounding, and reduplicating represent the major derivational processes. Derivational processes generally act on verbs, turning them into nouns, adjectives, and adverbs. Compounding may be coordinate or attributive. Verbs, the meat of a Dhimal utterance, are inflected for agent, tense, and aspect. Complex verb forms can be made up of a simplex form, aspect marker, a tense marker, and mode.