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Pronominalisation
quickinfo

An adjective can be pronominalised, as in the example below, where the pronoun it it refers to the adjective fleurich happy:

Example 1

Alles is fleurich en ik bin it mei
everything is happy and I am it too
All is happy and I am so too
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The adjective or the adjective and its complement can be pronominalized:

Example 2

a. Jan is bang fan hûnen en ik bin it ek
Jan is afraid of dogs and I am it also
Jan is afraid of dogs and so am I
b. Jan is bang fan hûnen en ik bin it fan spinnen
Jan is afraid of dogs and I am it of spiders
Jan is afraid of dogs and I am afraid of spiders

It can also be the antecedent of a free relative clause:

Example 3

Jan is bang fan hûnen, watsto net bist
Jan is afraid of dogs what.2SG nog be.2SG
Jan is afraid of dogs, which you are not

The pronoun cannot co-occur with some high degree intensifiers:

Example 4

*En ik bin it tige/bot fan spinnen
and I am it much of spiders
And I am it much of spiders

The effect disappears with the combination hiel bot very much:

Example 5

En ik bin it hiel bot fan spinnen
and I am it very much of spiders
And I am very much afraid of spiders

The effect seems to be absent with low degree modifiers:

Example 6

a. En ik bin it in bytsje fan spinnen
and I am it a little of spiders
Lit: And I am it a little of spiders
b. *En ik bin it in protte fan spinnen
and I am it a lot of spiders
And I am it a lot of spiders

This may be related to the following facts:

Example 7

a. In bytsje bang
a little afraid
A little afraid
b. *In protte bang
a lot afraid
Lit: A lot afraid
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