Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Nothing is more common among uneducated writers than this confounding of the meaning of adjectives.

Some adjectives of English form and origin have fallen into disuse in modern times, as Latin radicals and terminations have become more familiar. This process, however, like most of those which occur in the progress of language, seems to have gone on very capriciously. We use fatherly, motherly, brotherly, as readily as paternal, maternal, fraternal. Sisterly has no Latin equivalent. Sonly is never used, though filial does not fully represent it. Daughterly is not common. We sometimes meet with the phrase "daughterly house;" that is, a house full of daughters.

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES.

§ 269. Those adjectives which denote VARIABLE QUALITIES have three degrees of Comparison, the Positive, the Comparative, and the Superlative. Variable qualities are those which are capable of increase or diminution.

SIMPLE OR

TERMINATIONAL

COMPARISON.

$270. The POSITIVE degree of the quality is expressed by the adjective in the simple form; as, Wise, cold.

The COMPARATIVE degree of the quality is expressed by adding r or er to the positive form; as, Wiser, colder.

The SUPERLATIVE degree of the quality is expressed by adding st or est to the positive form; as, Wisest, coldest.

The comparative refers to two persons or things, and denotes a greater degree of a quality in the one than in the other. The superlative refers to more than two persons or things, and denotes the utmost degree of a quality.

All monosyllables admit of r, st, or er, est, and dissyllables when the addition may be easily pronounced.

When adjectives end in y after a consonant, the y is dropped and i substituted before er and est; as, Lofty, loftier, loftiest.

[blocks in formation]

§ 271. Every adjective susceptible of comparison may also be compared by the use of the adverbs more and most; as, More wise, most wise. This mode of comparison is generally used in

the case of long words, for euphonic reasons, while the other is used in the case of short words.

DIMINUTION of quality, whether the adjective is of one syllable or more than one syllable, is formed by less and least; as, Happy, less happy, least happy. The termination -ish expresses a slight degree of a quality, as reddish. More, most, less, or least, prefixed to an adjective, forms with it virtually a compound adjective.

We thus have the means of denoting at least five varieties. of quality; as, Least happy, less happy, happy, more happy, most happy.

[blocks in formation]

$272. The following adjectives have DIFFERENT WORDS for expressing the different degrees of comparison :

[blocks in formation]

Good and better are related logically in the ideas they express, but not' etymologically. They are related in their use, but not in their origin. Better and best have lost their positive, if they ever had any, which has been replaced by good, a word of a different origin. It is stated that the Persian language has beh-good, and better for the comparative. The same general account may be given of the relations of bad and worse, of many and more. They are etymologically different words. It is also said that the Persian language has bad, and comparative badter.

In other languages, the words corresponding to good, better, best, show a similar want of relationship in their origin. Icelandic gód, bettri, bestr; Maso-Gothic goth, batiza, batist; Danish god, bedre, beste; Swedish göd, bättre, bäst; Dutch goed, beter, best; Friesic god, bettre, beste; Anglo-Saxon god, betra, betst. In Latin, as an equivalent for good, better, best, we have bonus, melior, optimus.

Much is etymologically related to more. It is doubtful whether little and less are etymologically related to each other.

[blocks in formation]

§ 273. The following adjectives have IRREGULAR TERMINATIONS for expressing the degrees of comparison :

[blocks in formation]

Farther means more far or more distant. It is derived from the word far, which appears in the following forms: fairra, Maso-Gothic; feor, Anglo-Saxon; fer, Old High-German. The proper comparative is formed without the th, which is inserted either because far-er is inharmonious, or from the word being confounded with further. Last is only a contraction of latest. By comparing this word with best, we discover that the sound of t has been lost. The full forms would be lat-est (latt-est) and bett-est. Some of these adjectives are redundant, though in most cases there is a difference of meaning. Thus, foremost refers to place; first, to time; latest, to time; last, to order. Near, although in meaning an adjective of the positive degree, is, in respect to its form, a comparative. The Anglo-Saxon form is neah for the positive; nea-rre, nea-r, and ny-r for the comparatives. Hence nearer is, in respect to its form, a double comparative, nea-r-er.

DEFECTIVE COMPARISON.

§ 274. The following adjectives are DEFECTIVE in their com parison:

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

The comparatives former and latter, or hinder; upper and under, or nether; inner and outer, or utter; after and hither ; and the Latin superior and inferior; anterior and posterior; interior and exterior; prior and ulterior; senior and junior; major and minor, can not, like other comparatives, be construed with the conjunction than. They are comparatives in form, but positives in nature.

COMPARISON BY INTENSIVE WORDS.

§ 275. Besides the terminational comparison, there is another, which is expressed by certain Intensive words, as very, exceedingly, extremely; as, “Very hard;" "extremely great;" "exceedingly kind." When very or any similar word is put before the positive, it is called the Superlative of EMINENCE, to distinguish it from the superlative of comparison. Thus, "very bold" is the superlative of eminence, and boldest is the superlative of comparison.

Another mode of comparison, which in its nature is eminently superlative, is to select a certain class superior to others as the starting point of comparison; as, "King of kings;" "lord of lords;" "the bravest of the brave.". As all men are not brave, brave is itself comparative; and if the brave exceed the common herd, much more does the bravest exceed the common herd.

The comparison is sometimes modified by such terms as somewhat, little, still, almost, much, so. Thus, "Learning is · valuable, prudence is more valuable, and virtue more valuable still." The word still implies a continued gradation. Were this word suppressed, the sentence would imply that prudence and virtue are each more valuable than learning, but would assert no superiority of virtue to prudence. In the following line

a progressive increase in the comparison is effected by the addition of yet after a comparative adjective:

“Short, shorter, shorter yet my breath I drew.”

ADJECTIVES NOT ADMITTING COMPARISON.

$276. Adjectives whose qualities are Invariable, not susceptible of increase or diminution, can not be compared. Among

these are,

1. All words expressive of FIGURE; as, Circular, square. 2. Certain DEFINITIVE adjectives; as, One, two, several. 3. Certain words implying MATTER, TIME, PLACE, PERSON; as, Wooden, daily, British, Mosaic.

4. Words denoting the HIGHEST or LOWEST degree of a quality. The following has been given as a list of adjectives which do not properly admit of degrees:

[blocks in formation]

Some of these adjectives, however, are frequently found in the

comparative or superlative form:

"But first and chiefest with thee bring."

MILTON, Il Penseroso.

Thus, too, we find "more perfect" and "most perfect,” “ fuller" and "fullest," although it is evident that nothing can be more perfect than perfection, or more full than fullness. These forms of expression, though not logically correct, are rhetorically so.

"In such instances, the adjective, in its positive state, is not employed so as to denote absolutely the highest degree of quality, but only an approximation to that degree. Thus, when we say that one thing is fuller than another, we must mean that

« AnteriorContinuar »