The Hamap dialect is sometimes treated as a separate language; on the other hand, Kabola, which is sociolinguistically distinct, is sometimes included.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:233)A nominal predicate also follows the subject (note that Adang does not use a copula): Ni-maŋ1.PL.EXCL.INAL-fatherLukas.LukasNi-maŋ Lukas.1.PL.EXCL.INAL-father LukasOur father is Lukas.
[2] In this case nanɛ must still succeed the predicate: HeniHeniguruteachernɛnɛ.NEGHeni guru nɛnɛ.Heni teacher NEGHeni is not a teacher (Robinson & Haan 2014:238)FalipricehoDEFʔɛNEGu-baŋAPPL-saynanɛ.NEGFali ho ʔɛ u-baŋ nanɛ.price DEF NEG APPL-say NEGThe price has not been mentioned.
Alternatively, ʔɛ at the end of a clause expresses a negative imperative (without nanɛ).
(Robinson & Haan 2014:239)To make a negative imperative more polite add haʔai to the beginning of the sentence.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:240)Adang question words are anɔ ‘who’, naba ‘what’, tarɔ ‘where’, tarɔni ‘how/why’ and den ‘how many/when’.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:241)Yes–no questions are distinguished from declarative sentences by rising intonation on the last syllable.
The structure of the Adang noun phrase:[2](possessor + possessive.pronoun) N V CLF V numeral quantifier REL DEM/DEF (Robinson & Haan 2014:242)A demonstrative or the definite determiner ho is placed at the end of the noun phrase.
Adang uses intransitive verbs to modify nouns, as it has no separate word class of adjectives.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:248)Classifiers occur between a noun and a number larger than one.
Supi can precede third person ʔari to make clear that it had plural meaning.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:263)Alone pronouns refer to a person or a group of people doing something on their own.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:265)Verbs in Adang may take pronominal and/or valency-increasing prefixes.
[2] Pronominal prefixes mostly serve to mark objects on (di)transitive verbs.
[4] The second set is only found on three verbs: lap ‘search’, lɔfɛ ‘call’ and tain ‘release’.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:269)Set 2: Namɛpersonnuoneʔaipersontumɔʔoldʔɔ-lɔfɛ.3.ALL.callNamɛ nu ʔai tumɔʔ ʔɔ-lɔfɛ.person one person old 3.ALL.callSomeone calls to the old man.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:269)Ablative prefixes also increase the valency of a verb to indicate movement away from its referent.
[2] The collection of verbs that can have an ablative prefix is very limited and consists of five verbs: papaɲ ‘imitate’, mala ‘shy’, baroc ‘afraid’, tafuniŋ ‘hide’ and tɛʔɛŋ ‘run’.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:268)Applicative prefix u- increases a verb’s valency by introducing a theme to a sentence.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:270)The causative prefix adds a ‘causer’ to a proposition, thereby increasing a verb’s valency.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:272)Serial verb constructions are very common in Adang.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:276)Asymmetrical serial verb constructions have several different uses, which are detailed below.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:279)A theme may be introduced by adding med ‘take’ before the open-class verb.
While this construction is common in everyday speech, the verb med is entirely optional.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:235)The verb lɛ ‘to, towards’ also forms a part of directional and locational compound verbs, for instance talɛ ‘up on’ and adaŋlɛ ‘away from the speaker toward the mountain’.
]PREDICATEstand.PROG[Ti taʔat ho]NP [mɔŋ bana mi tufeh.
(Robinson & Haan 2014:237)Adang expresses aspect with aspectual particles at the end of the predicate.
Aspects that are grammatically marked in Adang are progressive, perfective and inceptive.
Adang kinship terminology features no obligatory distinction between siblings, parallel-cousins and cross-cousins.
[5] There is a distinction between younger and older siblings/cousins, respectively diʔ and matu, and a single term for the same group: -uding.