Reduplication, or
kata ganda in Malay, is a process of repeating a word, either exactly or with a slight change in tone. It appears quite regularly in Penang Hokkien.
Reduplication is most commonly used to fashion
adverbs out of adjectives. Adjectives that are Regular Words form adverbs by reduplicating without tone change.
ban33
slow
ban33
-ban33
slowly
Adjectives that are Irregular Words are affected by
Tone Sandhi when they are reduplicated. These adjectives form adverbs by changing the tone of the first word (or morpheme) to the
Modified Form, while the second word remains in the
Basic Form.
khuai3
quick
khuai1
-khuai3
quickly
Reduplication can also be used to express a diminutive quality of the adjective, similar to "-ish" in English.
ang2
red
ang3
-ang2
reddish
tam2
wet
tam3
-tam2
slightly wet, wettish
The resulting reduplicated word can function as both adverb and adjective. Where they precede the noun they modify, the possessive particle -eh3 is attached to them.
Ee1-eh3
bin33
ang3-
ang2.

His
face is
reddish. (adjective)
Ee1-eh3
ang3-
ang2-eh3
bin33 enee2.

His
reddish face is round. (adjective)
Ee1 chat3 heh1-leh1
piak3
ang2.

He
painted the wall
red. (adverb).
Heh1-leh1
khor3
tam2.

The
pants are
wet. (adjective)
Heh1-leh1
khor3 kokh1 si33
tam3
-tam2.

The
pants are still
a bit wet. (adjective)
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