Oer -ber, -lik, -eftich, -ich, -erich, -sk en -sum (earste stik: -ber, en -lik ferlike)

Abstract

In this article I discuss and compare two of the seven Modern Frisian suffixes deriving adjectives from verbal bases which share the general meaning 'tending to carry out the action referred to in the verb stem'. The two suffixes are -ber and -lik (Dutch -baar and -lijk).
It appears that the difference between -ber and -lik is that adjectives in -lik
generally refer to permanently operative properties, whereas those in -ber refer to
possibilities and potentialities.
I reject the so-called modal readings that have been assumed for a number of
adjectives in -lik (cf. e.g. Dutch verwerpelijk which has been interpreted as 'ought to
be disapproved of or condemned').
The number of 'intransitive' derivations with -lik is comparatively larger than that
with -ber. There appear to be grounds to question the assumption that the productivity of -lik is diminishing due to its alleged semantic incoherence.