ABSTRACT
Proper English grammar requires that the things under comparison be of the same type in order for them to be comparable. Tibetan, like most East Asian languages, has a rather relaxed attitude about the two things being compared. As long as the intended interpretation is in no danger of being obscure, “sloppy comparison” is considered normal and one finds this kind of comparison more common than the supposedly proper one. In Tibetan, it is a perfectly natural way to express the idea. Tibetan adjectives describing colors only have the attributive form and usage when following the noun they modify. Colors cannot be used as predicates. Colors modify nouns from its right but precedes demonstrative pronouns. An English speaker expresses different degrees of conviction of his statement by employing adverbs such as definitely, surely, probably, possibly, perhaps, maybe, etc.
