Chapter XVII: Comparison of Adjectives and Adverbs

#Adjectives#.

96. (1) Adjectives are regularly compared by adding -ra for the comparative, and -ost (rarely -est) for the superlative:

_Positive._ _Comparative._ _Superlative._
earm, _poor_ earmra earmost
rîce, _rich_ rîcra rîcost
smæl, _narrow_ smælra smalost
brâd, _broad_ brâdra (bræ:dra) brâdost
swift, _swift_ swiftra swiftost

(2) Forms with i-umlaut usually have superlative in -est:

_Positive._ _Comparative._ _Superlative._
eald, _old_ ieldra ieldest
long, _long_ lengra lengest
strong, _strong_ strengra strengest
geong, _young_ giengra giengest
hêah, _high_ hîerra hîehst

(3) The following adjectives are compared irregularly:

_Positive._ _Comparative._ _Superlative._
gôd, _good_ betra betst
ly:tel, _little, small_ læ:ssa læ:st
micel, _great, much_ mâra mæ:st
yfel, _bad_ wiersa wierst

(4) The positive is sometimes supplied by an adverb:

_Positive._ _Comparative._ _Superlative._
feor, _far_ fierra fierrest
nêah, _near_ nêarra nîehst
æ:r, _before_ æ:rra, _former_ æ:rest, _first_

(5) The comparatives all follow the Weak Declension. The superlatives, when preceded by the definite article, are weak; but when used predicatively they are frequently strong: #sê læ:sta dæ:l#, _the least part_; #Ðonne cymeð sê man sê ðæt swiftoste hors hafað tô ðæ:m æ:restan dæ:le and tô ðæ:m mæ:stan#, _Then comes the man that has the swiftest horse to the first part and to the largest_. But, #ðæt by:ne land is êasteweard brâdost# (not #brâdoste#), _the cultivated land is broadest eastward_; #and# (#hit#) #bið ealra wyrta mæ:st#, _and it is largest of all herbs_; #Ac hyra# (= #hiera#) #âr is mæ:st on ðæ:m gafole ðe ðâ Finnas him gyldað#, _But their income is greatest in the tribute that the Fins pay them_.

(6) The comparative is usually followed by #ðonne# and the nominative case: #Sê hwæl bið micle læ:ssa ðonne ôðre hwalas#, _That whale is much smaller than other whales_; #Ðâ wunda ðæs môdes bêoð dîgelran ðonne ðâ wunda ðæs lîchaman#. _The wounds of the mind are more secret than the wounds of the body_.

But when #ðonne# is omitted, the comparative is followed by the dative: #Ûre Âlîesend, ðe mâra is ond mæ:rra eallum gesceaftum#, _Our Redeemer, who is greater and more glorious than all created things_; #nê ongeat hê nô hiene selfne betran ôðrum gôdum monnum#, _nor did he consider himself better than other good men_.

#Adverbs.#

97. (1) Adverbs are regularly compared by adding -or for the comparative and -ost (rarely -est) for the superlative:

_Positive._ _Comparative._ _Superlative._
georne, _willingly_ geornor geornost
swîðe, _very, swîðor, _more_ swîðost, _most, chiefly_
severely_
æ:r, _before_ æ:ror, _formerly_ æ:rest, _first_
norð, _northwards_ norðor norðmest[1]

(2) The comparatives of a few adverbs may be found by dropping -ra of the corresponding adjective form:

_Positive._ _Comparative._ _Superlative._
longe, _long_ leng lengest
micle, _much_ mâ mæ:st
wel, _well_ bet betst

[Footnote 1: This is really a double superlative, m being itself
an old superlative suffix. _Cf._ Latin _opti-m-us_. In Mn.E.
_northmost_ and _hindmost_, _-m-est_ has been confused with
_-most_, with which etymologically it has nothing to do.]

#Expressions of Time.#

98. (1) Duration of time and extent of space are usually expressed by the accusative case: #Ealle ðâ hwîle ðe ðæt lîc bið inne#, _All the time that the body is within_; #twêgen dagas#, _for two days_; #ealne weg#, _all the way, always_.

(2) Time when is more often expressed by the instrumental case when no preposition is used: #ðy: ilcan dæge#, _the same day_; #æ:lce gêare#, _each year_; #ðy: gêare#, _that year_; #æ:lce dæge#, _each day_.

(3) Time or space within which is expressed by #on# and the dative: #on sumera#, _in summer_; #on wintra#, _in winter_; #on fîf dagum#, _in five days_; #on fîf mîlum#, _in five miles_; #on ðissum gêare#, _in this year_; #on ðæ:m tîman#, _in those times_. Sometimes by the genitive without a preceding preposition: #ðæ:s gêares#, _in that year_.

99. VOCABULARY.

ðæt gefylce [folc], _troop, division_.
ðæt lond (land), _land_.
sêo mîl, _mile_.
ôðer ... ôðer, _the one ... the other_; _the former ... the latter_.
sê sige, _victory_.
sige[2] habban, _to win (the) victory_.
sprecan, _to speak_.
ðæt swîn (swy:n), _swine, hog_.
wêste, _waste_.

[Footnote 2: #Sige# usually, but not invariably, precedes
#habban#.]

100. EXERCISES.

I. 1. Hê hæfð ðrêo swîðe swift hors. 2. Ic hæbbe nigontîene scêap ond mâ ðonne twêntig swîna. 3. Sêo gôde cwên cîest twâ hund monna. 4. Uton feohtan wið ðâ Dene mid ðrîm hunde scipa. 5. Ond hîe wæ:ron on twæ:m gefylcum: on ôðrum wæs[3] Bâchsecg ond Halfdene ðâ hæ:ðnan cyningas, ond on ôðrum wæ:ron ðâ eorlas. 6. Ðû spricst sôðlîce. 7. Ðonne rît æ:lc mon his weges. 8. Æfter monigum dagum, hæfde Ælfred cyning[4] sige. 9. Ðis lond is wêste styccemæ:lum. 10. Ðês feld is fîftiges mîla brâd. 11. Ælfred cyning hæfde monige frîend, for ðæ:m ðe hê wæs æ:gðer ge wîs ge gôd. 12. Ðâ hwalas, ðe ðû ymbe spricst, sind micle læ:ssan ôðrum hwalum. 13. Hêo is ieldre ðonne hiere swuster, ac mîn brôðor is ieldra ðonne hêo. 14. Wê cumað tô ðæ:m tûne æ:lce gêare. 15. Ðâ men ðe ðâ swiftostan hors hæ:fdon wæ:ron mid ðæ:m Denum fêower dagas.

II. 1. Our army (#werod#) was in two divisions: one was large, the other was small. 2. The richest men in the kingdom have more (#mâ#) than thirty ships. 3. He was much wiser than his brother. 4. He fights against the Northumbrians with two ships. 5. After three years King Alfred gained the victory. 6. Whosoever chooses these gifts, chooses well. 7. This man's son is both wiser and better than his father. 8. When the king rides, then ride his thanes also. 9. The richest men are not always (â) the wisest men.

[Footnote 3: See p. 100, note on #gefeaht#.] [[Linenote 100.8]]

[Footnote 4: The proper noun comes first in appositive
expressions: #Ælfred cyning#, #Sidroc eorl#, #Hêahmund
bisceop#.]