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Anglistische Forschungen
Herausgegeben von Dr.

JOHANNES HOOPS

Professor an der Universitat Heidelberg

Heft 7

The Comparison
of Adjectives
in English

in the

XV

and the XVI Century

by

Louise Pound

GESR-

I3J2

HEIDELBERG CARL WINTER'S UNIVERSITATSBUCHHANDLUNG

1901

Anglistische Forschungen
^

Herausgegeben von Johannes Hoops

Professor an der Universiidt Heidelberg

Heft 7

The Comparison
of Adjectives
in

English

n the

XV and

the XVI Century

by

Louise Pound

Heidelberg Carl Winter's Universitatsbuchhandlung

1901

Alle Rechte, besonders das Recht der Cbersetznng In fremde Sprachen,

werden

vorbehalten.

?f
^
^
A--

Preface.
The
ment.
deals

following dissertation

with the comparison

of adjectives in English in the middle period of develop-

The

fifteenth

and the sixteenth century represent

the transition from Middle to

New

English,

when forms

and

spellings are being fixed,

and the

fate of

many new
of
the

constructions

determined.

systematic
facts

sur\'ey

morphological and
liistory

syntactical

connected with the

these
centuries
is

of

adjective

comparison
history

in

necessary to a complete
in

of adjective comparison

English,

history

which may well be worked out

Further,
the

century by century.
to fix

such inquiry should help

of meaning
in

chronologically

shifts

certain

irregular

or

anomalous

comparatives
certain

and

superlatives,

and the development of

Throughout, two

new

forms.

things

have been

kept steadily in

mind, the relation of the forms and constructions discussed

to those in preceding centuries, to

Old English and Middle

English, and, second, their relation to the forms and constructions found in Shakespeare
speare,

and

later English.

Shake-

coming

at the close of the sixteenth century,

marks

the terminus ad quern of the period here treated.

reference
is

Frequent

made

in the following to Franz's Shakespeareis

Grammatik, a book which

of Elizabethan English.

indispensable to the student

IV

Preface.

One
that

of the most interesting questions connected with

the history of the comparison of adjectives in

Enghsh

is

which concerns the origin of the

<

French), or

peri-

phrastic,

method of comparison.
but

This

falls in
it

the earlier
purj)ose

period, the period before 1400,

to treat
also,

which

was
in

my
a

which
in

will

be treated

separate

dissertation,

now
to

preparation,

by Mr. Aloys Mayer,

Cand. Phil. Heidelberg.

With regard
the aim.

the

method of

presentation,
illustration

fullness

though not of course completeness of

has been

In an inquiry of such nature as the following,

right conclusions

must

rest

largely

on the number and

this

the

variety

of examples

cited.

For

reason,

what

may

seem, perhaps, an unnecessary

number

of texts has

been examined.

Dialect differences, authors' peculiarities,

variations between literary

and

colloquial usage,

con-

clusions

on these

points, for earlier centuries as for

modem
a

times, are to be reached only after the examination of

large

number

of texts.

Hence,

also,

the texts

examined

cover a wide range in theme and form. Such publications

as

the Paston
for

Letters
certain

and the Elizabethan Diaries are

purposes,
especially

valuable,

because

not

prepared for print.

For colloquial language and

dialect,

passages in some of the later plays,

Peele,

as in Greene

and

and many of the Dodsley-Hazlitt

series, are useful.

In literary usage,

sermons, controversial writings, historical

narratives, poems, dramas,

and so on, may be distinguished.

list

Examples from

all

these classes will be found in the

of texts examined.

Whenever
critical texts

possible, reprints, like the

Arber

series,

and

have been consulted, instead of modernized

cite

versions.

To

an example showing the importance

Preface.

V
compare the
gentle'est

of

this,

even in relatively

late texts,

of Yeowell's modernized
the
gentiUest

edition of Surrey's
in
Tottel's

poems with
Miscellany.
still

of the

same poem

The

necessity for critical texts

would have been

chiefly

greater,

had the purpose been

to deal

with orthography

and phonology, rather than morphology and syntax.

In conclusion, the author wishes to express appreciation

and a strong sense of indebtedness

to Prof. Dr.

Johannes

Hoops of

the University of Heidelberg.

The

investigation

which follows was made

it

at his inspiration,
is

and whatever

may

contain of value

probably due to his stimulus

and kind advice.

Heidelberg

1900.

Louise Pound.

VI

Table of Contents.
Page.

Preface

ITI

Table of Contents
Introduction,
01(1

VI
of Adjectives in

12. The Comparison

ami Middle English.

Periphra8tic>.

3-4.

Rise of

the

Periphrastic Method.

The Names Terminational

5.

and
7.

8.

Distinctions

in

I'^age.

History

of Critical

Opinion.

6.

Modern

9.

Rules.

Some

Special Uses of Termination al Comparison.

for

Conclusions

Modern

English.

Com1

parison in the

XV

and the

XVI

Century.

10. Ad-

jective Vocabulary in the

I.

XV

and the

XVI

Century

Teruiinational Comparison
1.

11

Formal Elements.

12.

in

11.

Normal endings and

-le

variants.

Adjectives

in
-oust.

and

-er.

13.

Contract

superlatives
latives.

14. Other contract super-y.

15.

Adjectives in

16.

Orthographical

doubling in comparative and superlative.

17.

The
11

comparative darre
2.

Use.

18.
XVI

Terminational compari.'^on in the

XV and
20. in in

the

century.

1)

19.

With monosyllables.
2)
4)

With
-y.
-ful,
-est.

dissyllables.
3) adjectives

oxytones.

adjectives adjectives

in -le

and

-er.

5) adjectives in -ed.
7)

6) adjectives

in -ous, -ish,

adjectives in -ow. 8) adjectives in heavy consonant

9)

groups.

various adjectives.
trisyllables.

21. Terminational

comparison with
syllables.
II.

22.

23. Conclusions

.....
the

With quadri14
18

Periphrastic Comparison

24. Periphrastic comparison

in

XV

and the

XVI

century.

25. AVith monosyllables. 26. With

dissyllables. 1) oxytones. 2) adjectives in -y. 3) adjec-

Table of Contents.

VII
Page.

tives in -le aiKi

in -ed.
6)

-er.

4) adjectives in -ful. 5) adjectives

-est.

adjectives in -ous, -ish,

in

7)

adjectives

in -OK.

8) adjectives

lieavy

consonant groups.

9) varioua adjectives.

27. Periphrastic comparison

with trisyllables.

28. With quadrisyllables. 29.

in succession.

Comparison of two or more adjectives

30. Comparison of two qualities of the same subject.

31. Combination of terminational and

peri-

same phrase. 32. Differences between sixteenth century and modern usage III. The Comparison of Participles 1. Terminational Mode. 34. Terminational mode in the XV and the XVI century. 1) with present partiphrastic comparison in the
ciples. 2)
2.

18

24

with past participles

24

Periphrastic Mode.

35. The periphrastic mode in the

XV
3.

and the

XVI

century.

1)

with
.

present
.
.

parti.

ciples. 2)

with past participles

25

Better

and Best with Participles. 36. Use of better and best with participles, for more and most .

26
26

IV. Irregular Comparison

1.

Survival of Umlaut.
strong,
old.

38.

37.

Umlaut comparison of
1)

long,

Strong.

strenger,
1)

strengest.

2) stranger, strangest.

39. Long.
40.
Old.

lenger, lengest.

2)

langer, longest.

Retention of elder,
in

eldest

beside older, oldest.

Distinction
2) special

meaning.
elder,

1) elder, eldest, older, oldest.

use of

eldest
2.

26

Comparatives and Superlatives with Consonant Doubling.

41.
Century.
3.

Consonant doubling in the

XV and the XVI

.

42. Survival in modern English

28

Comparative Combination of heterogeneous Words. 43. Complementary or supplementary comparison .

a)

30

Much, More Most.

1)

44.

Normal forms and

3)

variants.

positives.
4)

2)

comparatives.
45.

the

comparative

mo.

superlatives.
1)

Special

use of much,

more, most.
b) Better Best.

vnich. 2) more. 3) most

46.
bet.

...
best.

30

Comparatives

better

and

% 47.
better

Comparative

48. Double comparison of

and

best.

49. Use of better

and

best

in place of

more and wost

33

VIII

Table of Contents,

c}

Bad (Evil,
5)

III),
1)

Worse, Worst.
evil.

50.
3)

Page.

Normal forms and

4)

variants.

2)

ill.

bad.

comparatives.

superlatives.

51.

Terminational

comparison
35

of bad
d) Little, Less, Least.
1) less.

52.

Normal forms and

3) least.

variants.

2)

use of

less for feicer.

53.

Use
37

of

less

and

least in

comparison

as the counterparts

4.

of more and most. 54. Regular comparison of Twofold Comparison of Late and Out
a)

Late.

55.

....
Origin,
later, latest

little

38

Twofold comparative forms.

in meaning.
1)

and

distinctions
4) latest.

latter.

2) later.

3) last.

56.

Use of

latter

for the superlative.

57. Retention of
b) Out.

latter, last

beside

38

68.
2)

Twofold comparative forms. Origin.

nttrest,

V tttter,
etc.

outer.

utmost,

uttermost,

outmost,

59.

Use of

utter for the superlative.

60.

Reten41
61.

tion of utter, utmost, etc. beside outer, outmost

6.

Comparatives formed

from adverbial Positives.

superlatives

Comparatives
positives
a)

and

from

adverbial

42

Near.

Normal forms and variants. 1) nigh, nigher, nighest^ more and vwst nigh. 2) near as comparative. 3) nerre, narre, the old weak form as comparative.
4) near, nearer, nearest,

62.

more near, most near.

%
63.

5)

double

comparison

of

near.
1)

Distinction

between
43

nearest an<l next.

2) next

next denoting time or sequence.

denoting
65.

locality.

64. Nexter and nextmost

variants.
1) positives,

b)

Far.

Normal forms and

etc.
2)

ferre, farre,
3)

comparatives,
4)

ferre,

farre, etc.

superlative ferrest.

periphrastic comparison of

far.

66. Distinction between farther, farthest, and

1) farther, farthest,

further, furthest.
2)

denoting

locality.

denoting time or sequence.

3) further,

furthest,
.

<lenoting locality. 4) denoting time or sequence

6.

45

Defective Comparison of Former, Foremost.

of former and foremost.
1)

67. Origin

superlative forme. 2) com-

j)arative former. 3) superlative formost, foremost, etc.

48

V. Double an<l Intensified Comparison

1.

49 49
68. Super-

Double Comparison
a)

Adjectives witli Double Superlative Suffix.

Table of Contents.

IX
Page.

lativeB in -most.

1)

middlemost, hindermost. 2) inmost,

nethermost, etc.

upmost,

etc. 3) aftermost,

...
2)

49

b) Prefixing of
tives.

More and Most 69. More and

1)

to Terminational
vtost

Compara
double

with

terminational

comparatives.
superlatives
c)

double comparatives.

50

Double Terminational Comparison of Worse and Less.

70.

Addition of the terminational

1) icorser.

-er to

worse and
ter-

less.

2) lesser.

71. Other

double

minational comparatives
2.

62

Intensified Comparison.

72.

Comparison strengthened
1)

by adverbs and adverbial expressions.

compara-

tive intensified. 2) superlative intensified. 73.

Double
by

comparison strengthened by adverbs and adverbial

expressions.
alder-.

74.

Superlatives

strengthened

-76.

75. Superlative prefixed to the positive. Combination of words of equal root or meaning.
-f-

superlative

related noun. 2) superlative

3) tautological

-j-

plural

of the positive.

superlative -f

noun

superlative in meaning. 4) other efforts to intensify.

in
2)

77.

Comparison of adjectives already superlative

1)

meaning.

terminational

comparison of
of

chief.

terminational

comparison

other

adjectives.

8) periphrastic

comparison
of the

VI. Elative (Absolute)

Use of Comparative and Superlative.

construction
in

54

78.

The

elative

comparative
in the

and superlative

nglish.
century.
in

79. Elatives 80.

XV
1.

and the

XVI

Comparison of
57

the history of elatives

Elative Superlatives,
superlatives.
2.

French and in English

superlatives.

81. Elative use of periphrastic

82,

Of terminational

58

Elative Comparatives.

83. Elative use of terminational 59

Superlatives.

comparatives
VII,

The Substantivation of Comparatives and

84.
latives

Substantivation

of comparatives

and super60

1.

In the Singular.

85. Substantivation of comparatives

in
3)

and superlatives
2) superlatives.

the

singular.
to

1)

comparatives,

referring

preceding noun.
G2

4) substantive use of the

comparatives of participles

Table of Contents.
Page.
2.

In

tlie

Plural.

86.

Substantivation
in

of comparatives
1)

and
2)
3.

superlatives
-s

the

plural,

without

-s.

with

63

Substantivation

through

following

T^ouns.

stantivation through one,

VIII.
1.

and thing

....

87. Sub-

64
64

Some

Syntactical Peculiarities

Post-Poaition of Comparative.
attributive comparative

88. Postposition of the

64
89.
1)

2.

Omission of Definite Article.

superlatives.
2)

with terminational
3) in

with periphrastic superlatives.

4)

the predicate.
cession
3.

with Beveral superlatives in suc65

Unusual

Word

Order.

90.

Some
other.

cases of the unusual

position of the comparative

4.

66
% 91. Origin of the
.

The Superlative with of

construction.

all

92. Variant constructions

one.

66

5.

The Appositive Superlative with

sitive

93.

The appo
of the

superlative

with

one.

94.

Origin

construction.

95.

Other explanations.

96. The
.
.

appositive superlative with other numerals

6.

69

The Superlative
of two

in

Comparisons of Two.

97.

Use of
71

the superlative for the comparative in comparisons

Appendix
Literature consulted
List of Texts
.
.

73

examined, with Abbreviations

....

74
75

Other Abbreviations
Partial

79
80

Index of Forms

Introduction.
The Comparison

of Adjectives in Old and Middle English 12.

Rise of fhe Periphrastic Method.

Periphrastic* 3
5.

The Names Terminational and

History of Critical
of Termi6.

4.

Distinctions in Usage.

Opinion
national

Modern Rules

Some

Special Uses

Comparison 7. Conclusions for Modern English 8. Comparison in the XV and the XVI Century 9. Adjective Vocabulary in the

XV

and the

XVI

Century

10.

1.

Old English,

like all

Teutonic languages, shows

organic or

terminational

comparison.

The comparative
suffix -ra,

degree

is

formed by the addition of the

and the

superlative

by the addition of the suffix

-ost {-ust, -ast, -est)

to the positive, representing the Teutonic *-6ean-, *-6sta-,

*-i2an-y *-ista-.

Traces of the

latter

endings are seen in

a few umlauted forms of adjectives in frequent use, like

ieldra,

grietra,

gingra,

lengest,

strengest,

sciertest,
yfel,

hiehst.

Irregularly
lytel.

compared

adjectives

are god,

micel,

and

Beside these are a few superlatives with an -m

-mo).

suffix,

Teutonic *-uma, Indo-European -9mo {-mmo,

Latin opfinms, pessimus,
etc.

Compare
being,
cf.

This appears as -ma in forma;

hindema,

or

as -mest,

the superlative
etc.

ending
full

-est

added, in sidemest, midmest,

Sievers

For

particulars

the

2.

307315, or Kaluza 140. In late Old English and in Middle English,

final

by the weakening of
dern -er

vowels in inflectional syllables

-re,

comparative endings become

is

and

-est.

The mo1

developed from

-re

by

loss of the final vowel

Pound, Comparison of Adjectives.

Introduction.

the resulting syllabic r being written

time, the

-er.

By

Chaucer's

modern comparison by
and

-er

and

-est is practically

estabhshed.

3.

Comparison by

-er

-est is

called in the follow-

ing terminational comparison, although a shorter and

more usual name

N. Eng. Gr.
etc.

is

inflectional*,

Sweet,
and
is,

for

example,

uses

inflectional*

periphrastic*

which seems
ing,

less

accurate, since there

strictly

speak-

no mflection.

The Old English terminational combecame

invariable in con-

paratives were inflectional, but

sequence of the general levelling of case endings in Middle

English.

4. Comparison by more and most first appears in the thirteenth century, but does not become common till

more than a century

Eng. Gr. 1046).

later

(Matzner

p.

297.

Sweet, N.
its
(v.

The

causes contributing to

intro-

duction and spread will not

ace)

be discussed here
is

Pref-

Comparison by more and most

Romance* method

often called the

French* or

in contrast

with the Teuto

tonic

terminational

method, because analogous

inii,
etc.,

the

comparison by plus^
languages.

prevailing in the
is

Romance
to

The designation periphrastic

to the

be premost,
is

ferred because the English comparison by more

and

though similar
not the same.
article
-|-

French or Romance comparison,

The Romance languages use

the definite

the comparative to indicate the superlative degree.

is

In English, the superlative

formed, not by the more but

by

most.

Moreover the name

that this

French* or

Romance*
in

method suggests
lish is

method of comparison
is

Eng-

borrowed from the French, which

It

probably not

the case.

resembles, rather, the Latin.

in Latin

An

important

group of adjectives

fonn the comparative and

Introduction.

superlative

degrees

by

prefixing

magis

(more)

and

maxime

(most).

So

idoneus, 'adapted', magis idoneus, 'more

adapted',

maxime

idoneus,

'most

adapted',

Cf.

Bennett,

Latm Grammar,
ische Comparation.
is
it

74, Wollflin, Lateinische

If periphrastic
it

und Roman-

comparison in English

not a native development,

seems more probable that

was borrowed from the

78),

Latin, like absolute comparison

and
It

many
to

other

constructions,
at

than from the

influence

French

began

appear

a time

when Latin

was becoming

strong.
to the Latin

The resemblance

was noted as early as

Wallace, Grammatica Linguae Anglicanae, 1653,

^sed
et

who

wrote,

uterque gradus per

ut

circumlocutionem formantur id

apud Latinos:

more

fair,

most fair.
is

His expression
also noteworthy.

per circumlocutionem

(=

periphrastic)

After the fourteenth century, periphrastic

steadily gains ground,
it

comparison

until
is

by the time of Shakespeare

is

as
5.

common

as

it

today.

not a

With regard

to

distinctions
i)eriphrastic

in

usage beis

tween terminational and

little

comparison there

discussion.

Does the mode of comparison

adjective, or

depend upon the ending of the

upon

its

length?

glance

at

the

history of opinion on
Logonomia Anghca,

this question is

interesting.

Alexander
that the
er et est

Gill,

1619,

believes

ending governs the mode of comparison:

Per

non comparantur verbalia

Jiived

activa in ing

ut luving
uti
ilia
. .

amans: nee passiva; ut

nee composita

amatus, taught doctus;

. .

cum

ahl, ful, les, lik,

. ;

neque etiam
{ly,)

quae per jy,

{-ive,) ish,

et

multa quae per

1j,

aut us

Hue

etiam refer materialia, ut goldn aureus, stoni lapideus;

.
.

item quae tempus significant et ordinem

.;

ut wirdrj
1*

Introduction.

hibemus,

second,

third.

Et

quamvis

aliqiiando

audias

stonier aut famuser,

erit

tamen pro

libertate loquendi tolerabilius

sermo, potius

quam

laudabilis

scriptura.

Per signa
ut

tamen

omnia

fere

quae diximus comparantur:

mbr

hiving, most luving, etc..

grees

Ben Jonson, The English Grammar, 1640: Both de are formed of the positive; the comparative by
est;

putting to er; the superlative by putting to

ed,

... learn-

learn eder, learnedest.

John Wallis, Grammatica Anglicanae, 1653: Gradus

comparativus formatur a Positivo addendo er Superlati\'U8
;

addendo

est.

Ut

fair
et

formosus, fairer formosior,

fairest

formosissimus.

Sed

uterque gradus per circumlocutionfair,

em

formantur, ut apud Latinos: ut, more

most fair .

Attention has already been called

to the last sentence.

enters,
like Gill,

Greenwood, EngUsh Grammar, 1722,

into
details;

and with him,

as

with

Gill,

the

mode

of

comparison depends on the ending, not on the length of

the adjective.

Adjectives, such chiefly as

come from

the Latin,
in

and
as

that end in
angelical;

ain as certain; in tie as fugitive;

cal

in

en as golden;

in

ly

as fatherly;

in less as

friendless; in ry as necessary; in al as general; in able as

commendable; in ing as loving; in ish as peevish; in

honest;
in ous

est a,s

as vertuous;

in

ant as constant,

in

ed as

wicked; in id as rigid; in
the Comparative degree

som as troublesom, form or make

by putting the word

tnore before

them, and the Superlative by putting the word most before

them.

Samuel Johnson, Grammar of the English Tongue 1785: The comparison of

adjectives
is

very uncertain, and being

utterance, or agree-

much

regulated

by commodiousness of

Introduction.

ableness of sound,
Polysyllables

is

not easily

reduced to rules

....
.
.

are seldom
.

compared otherwise than

seldom compared
ain^

by more or most
if

Dissyllables are
less,

they terminate in

full,

ing, ous, id, ed, al, ent,

or ive.

Lindley
syllables

Murray,

English

Grammar,

1809:
er

Monoest,

for the

most part are compared by

and

and
in y,

dissyllables

by more and
and
in
le

most.
after

Dissyllables ending

as

'happy',

a mute,
as
of

as

able',

'ample',
'polite',

or accented
easily

on the

last
est.

syllable,

'discreet',

admit of er and

Words

more than

two

syllables hardly ever

admit of these terminations*.

of the English Language,

William Cobbett,

Grammar

1818: ''When the positive contains but one syllable, the

degrees are generally formed by adding er or
the positive contains two syllables,
it

est.

When

is

a matter of taste
is

which method you

shall use.

The

ear

the best guide.

syllables,

But when the

positive contains

more than two

the degree must be formed by more and most.

In the

German

edition

of Cobbett's
is

grammar
chiefly
to

(Kalt-

schmidt, Leipzig, 1839) the rule

otherwise stated, more

w^ords

and most comparison being

restricted

coming from the Latin .

J.

P. Marsh, Lectures

on the English Language, 1861,

speaks emphatically in favor of the terminational method

...
writers,

recently

in

conformity to a rule which

taste or in

has no
best

foundation in good

the

practice of the

we

have, in polysyllables, almost exclusively em. . .

ployed the comparison by more and most.

never was
is

Tlie rule

adopted by thoroughly English authors, and

little

happily

observed by the best usage of the pres-

ent day 2

Introduction.

R. Morris, Historical Outlines of English Accidence, 1873:

The comparative

is

formed by adding
-est

-er to the positive

the superlative by adding

applies to
(1)

to the positive.
(2) all

This rule
dissyllabic
genteel.,

all

monosyllabic adjectives;

adjectives wdth the accent

upon the

last syllable,

as

genteeler, genteelest; (3) adjectives of

two syllables in which

able,

the last syllable

abler, ablest;
(4)

is

ehded before the comparative, as

adjectives of tAvo syllables

to i before the suffixes
.

ending in

y,

which

is

changed

of comparison,

as happy, happier, happiest

Older writers on

grammar make
ending
is
is

the

mode
-ish,

of com-

parison depend on the ending, not on the length of the

adjective:
-al,

if
-ive,

the

adjectival

-ing,

-id,

-en,

-ent,

-ous, the

comparative

made by more and

by
this

most.
rule.

The

best authors, however, are not guided

W. M. Baskerville and J. W. Sewell, English Grammar, New York, 1895: The EngHsli is somewhat capricious in
choosing between inflected forms and those with more and
most,

so that

no

inflexible

rule can be given

as to the

formation of comparatives and superlatives*.

The general

rule

is

that monosyllables
syllables

and

easily pro-

nounced words of two

add

-er

and

-est;

the other

words are preceded by more and most.

be
left

But room must

in such a rule for pleasantness of sound,

and

for

variety of expression.

To

see

how

literary

English overrides

any
at

rule that could be given,

examine the following, taken

random

....
v

These long, harsh forms are usually

frequently

avoided,

but

more and most are

used with

monosyllables,

Henry Sweet, New Enghsh Grammar 1896

phrastic

peri-

comparison has

come

in

MnE.

to

be applied

Introduction.

chiefly to longer
flectional

and more unfamiliar namely

adjectives,

the in-

comparison being restricted more and more to

adjectives,

the

shorter
(a)
{h)

big,

monosyllables, such as
dissyllabic

high, young, sad.

adjectives
polite,

with the stress on

the

last

syllable,

such as

severe, complete, minute.

But many
is

of these have the periphrastic comparison,

which

the

more usual of the two when the

consonant group,
frequent.
(c)

adjective ends in a
correct,
distinct,

heavy

as in

abrupt,

ancient,

many

dissyllabic

adjectives with the stress

bitter,

on the

first syllable,

such

as tender,
in

narroiv,

happy, easy,

early, lovely,

and others
-s,

-ly, able,

simple, wholesome, cruel.

Those

in -ish,

and

-st

have the periphrastic comparison,

so as to avoid the repetition of the hiss consonant in the

superlative:
selfish,

childish; adverse; honest, earnest, modest.

So also those in

-ive,

such as

active,

apparently because

most of them are long words, the shorter ones being mostly
words whose meaning does not lend
itself to

comparison.
is

Such an

adjective as pleasant,
in
spite
it

on the contrary,

compared
its

by

inflection

of

its

heavy ending,

because

meaning makes

liable to frequent
is

comparison.

The
(a)

periphrastic comj)arison
all

followed

such

by

adjectives of

more than two

syllables,

as difficult, ignorant, important, comfortable, respectable

all

of which have besides heavy endings

necessary, general, satisfactory.
(6)

curious, generous,

by those

in -ful,

such as

useful,

anful,

cheerful;

respectful.
{c)

by those

in -ed

and

-ing

learned, tcretched, wicled,

cunning, tempting,
<iro

charming,

improving.

These adjectives

not

inflectetl

because they have the form of verbals.

Introduction.

although some of them, such as wretched and cunning are

of a different origin.
wickedest
.

Wicked sometunes has

superlative

G. R. Carpenter, Principles of English Grammar,

New
adjec-

York, 1899:
tives of

Adjectives of one syllable,

and some

two

syllables, are usually

-est,

compared by the addi-

tion of -er

and

and

all

longer adjectives are usually

compared by using more and most .... The ear alone

decides which
J.

method

is

preferable .

Klapperich, Englische Studien XVII,

1892, after a

careful canvass of the question,

sums up

as follows:

Wenn

wir diesen allgemeinen

sichtigen,

und guten sprachgebrauch

beriick-

so wird die regel lauten: Bei

tritt

den zweisilbigen
1.

adjectiven
sie

die deutsche steigerungsweise ein,

silbe

wenn
auf

den ton auf der zweiten

le

haben,

2.

wenn

sie

y oder

mit vorhergehenden konsonanten,

oder auf er

und ow ausgehen.
Ebenso
bei common, pleasant,

handsome und
eine

quiet.

Nach

dieser regel

hatten

wir dann

menge 'ausnahmen'
any can be

weniger zu verzeichnen.

6.

The modern

rules ,

so far as

for-

mulated, seem well stated in the conservative and

rizing

summato give

form

last

quoted.

The

present tendency

is

up much attempt
English
is

at detail,
to

and

to

admit that hterary

likely

break any rules that can be given.

So, in two late English

grammars quoted, Carpenter

is

writes,

The ear alone decides which method

pare Johnson

preferable*, (com-

and Cobbett

earher),

and Baskerville and

left in

Sewell write, But

much room must be

and

such a rule

for pleasantness of sound,

for variety of expression .

Even

the few rules given

by Klapperich are not

absolute.

Dissyllabic oxytones form their comparatives with more

and

Introduction.

most as well as with -er and

in

-est.

Compare

the examples cited

all

26,

more

precise,

more

severe, etc.,

of which are

common enough
in
-le

in present English.

Further, dissyllables
periphrastically.

and

-er

are occasionally

compared

Dr.

Sweet gives a careful analysis, and

his

remarks hold,

without question, for normal, \mtten usage.

paratives as gallanter, wretcheder, gracefuUer,
resent

Such comdo not

easily
rep-

ordinary

usage.

Yet examples are

found.

To
D.

cite

a few at random, William Morris writes crookeder,

wretcheder.
rcverendest,

H. G. Wells,

George Meredith, powerfuUer,

Carlyle, indisputablest.

W.

Ho wells,

7.

glance

at current literature

would multiply such forms.

Exceptions to the usual rules are especially

It is

common
since

in poetry.

well

known

that here

exaggerated use

has been made of terminational

Shakespeare.
patienter,

comparison

Swinburne, for example, writes, splendider,

Additional instances, with remarks
for

wretcheder.

on Swinburne's fondness
found in Dr. Wollaeger's

such comparison

may be

dissertation,

Analytical Studies

in Swinburne's Style , Heidelberg, 1899.

Another source
is

of abnormal

terminational

comparatives

colloquial

language and
cites

dialect.

Franz (Engl

Studien 12.230)
crookedest,
delight-

leakinyest,

naturalcst, seasonablest,

fullest, etc. in

Dickens.

Lewis Carrall uses curiouser.

Con-

saiteder, unjustest, modheratest,

occur in a cUalect story in

the

the

Century,

November
and
in

1899,

double

comparative

nicerer in another,

a recent novel by P. L. Ford,

In
fact,
is

the double superlative

hestest.

the terminational

comparison of unexpected adjectives

much employed
must be drawn

method of indicating

8.

colloquial

and

dialect speech.

On

the

whole,

the

conclusion

that the

mode

of comparison depends mostly on the

length

10

Introduction.

of the adjective, the spirit of the language seeming averse

from the lengthening of long words by additional

Monosyllables are compared ordinarily
terminational method.
are

syllables. to the

according

Words

of

more than two

syllables

compared

ordinarily

hy more and

most. In dissyllables,

mode of comparison is governed to a certain extent by the ending some terminations undoubtedly lending
the

themselves more easily to the Teutonic mode,

-er,

e. g.

-y, -le,

-ow,

or

by the familiarity of the word, or by the

author's preference.

9.

In the

XV

and the

XVI

century

there

was

even greater
is

freedom than

exists today.

An

exception

with participles, which follow uniformly the periphrastic

method, until near the close of the period under discussion.

In the

XV

century, adjectives were

compared according
In

to eitlier

method, without regard

to length or ending.

the

XVI century, the

and more

restriction of the tenninational

method

to shorter

familiar

words was well on the way,

but was not fully established.

in a half-way state, at the

On

the whole, usage

was

end of the sixteenth century,

Darthur and
is

midway between
present usage.
the following.

the

usage of the Morte

Discussion in more detail

reserved for

10.

In the citation of examples in the following, as

suggested elsewhere, fullness and variety of illustration have

been the aim.

When
or,

few examples are given,

it is

because
or be-

few were found,

cause the point
elucidation.

when

found, were repetitions;

to

seemed too well known

need

much

As

will

be seen, when not according

is

to endings,

the arrangement of examples

approximately chronological.
character
of the adjective
six-

The

limited

and stereotyped

vocabulary throughout

much

of the fifteenth and the

I.

Terminational Comparison.

11

teenth century, in comparison with present English, seems

worthy of comment.
Darthur,
full

With

the

exception

of the Morte

of loan words from the French, the richness

of language and freedom of form

shown

in

Chaucer are

not met with again until the time of Spenser and Shakespeare.

L Terminational Comparison.
1.

Formal Elements.

11.

The normal endings of the comparative

are -er

and the superlative

variants
the superlative,
-yst
-ist,

and

-est.

Fifteenth century
-yr,
-ur,

for the comparative

-yst,

are -ir

-ar;
-ist

for

-ast.

Of

these, -ar

and

or

are found sometimes in the sixteenth century, -ar

and

yst

disappearing
1)

earliest.

Comparatives:

eldar,

Morte D. 105,23. byggar,

ib.

ib.

560,19. freschar, G. of W. 8137. boldear, doghtyar,

tvysar,

96478.
I 97,17.

Nature

88,461.

farar

(=

fairer)

Douglas
ib.

lengar,

Digby Mysteries 69,406.

I 23. rediar,

heytterar,

103,1268.

formar, Skelton

Elyot 11 340.

more reufullyry
108,4.
lattir,

Morte D. 425,16.

IH

hettir,

Douglas

ib.

149,19.

vtir,

ib.

307,18.

hetiur,

G. of

W.

796,748.

etc. grettur,

ib.

11730.

2) Superlatives: farast

(= fairest) Douglas
lothyst,
ib.

II 26,15.

of

strengyst,

Morte D. 69,3.
ib.

gentelyst, ib. 390,14. boldyst,

W.

810. strengyst,

6604.

Skelton I
194,690.

2.

greiist,

Digby Mysteries 172,39. myldist,

II 383. neivist,

ivysist,

Elyot

Latimer

S.

97. chiefist, Utop.

115. pooriste,

Horestes 532,1051.

12

T.

Terminational Comparison.

r)

12.

may

Adjectives in -le and -er (phonetically show contraction in comparison, the

hittresf.

and
or r

of the ending losing their syllabic function

and becoming
uniformity
century.

consonants, as symplest,
in usage
until

There
of the
is

is

little

the

latter

half

sixteenth

In present

English,
-le,

contraction

found regularly with

-er.

adjectives in

not with those in

symplyer, Morte D. 198,10. symplest,

ib.

ib.

567,20. gentiller,
658,1.
nohlest,

650.10. gentehjst,

ib.

390,14. ahder,

ib.

ib.

339.5. horryhlesf, ib. 296,17. InrmUcst, Lusty Juventus 53.

gentlest.

TM.

236.

genteleste,

Utop.

91.

gentiUcst.

Suirey
122.

TM.

237.

idelest,

Sidney Ap. 20.

78.
S.

nimUest, Nash UT.

2)assabhsf,
bittrest,

Bacon

heytterer,
190.

Digby Mysteries 103,1268.

ib.

Latimer

hyttereste,

190

1.

vttrest,

TM.

105.
13.

Adjectives in

traction of the last

sometimes show consyllable with the superlative

-ous

ending, the
contraction.

repetition of the -s being

the cause of the

This few

is

seen characteristically in the Morte

are

Darthur.
century.

examples

found

in

the

sixteenth

The
knyght,

merueyJlest knygt,
ib.

Morte D. 92,30. the merueilloust

merucyUonst,
ib.

278,35.

the

697,31

2.

the

curteyst knyghte, ib. 197,30.

one oi the

peril! oust

knyghtes

of the
ib.

ivorld, ib

216,11. one of the x)eryUoust knyghtes,

mischeuoiist knyght,
ib. ib.
ib.

244,6.

the most

413,32.

the

vylaynst
ib.

kyng and knyght,

6.

450, 18. moost orguJist wise, 278, 22.

etc.).

840,

(but famousest.

the famotist
134.

Queene, Putt^nham 242

(verse),

venomosf,
is

Nash UT.

14.

The

of the superlative

also omitted
s,

occasionally after other consonants than

poetry, less

in

often in prose.

This becomes very

common

I.

Terminational Comparison.

13

in the next century,

horrid'st,
chiefsfi

cf.

Drayton's aged'st,
or the

elcTst,

strongest,

Poly.

15,

instances

in

Shakespeare.
Pithias 364.

Googe

54. vaUant'st,

Damon and
XI
79,53.

mournefulst, Spenser She) >. Cal.

122. most learnedst,

ivarlikst, hoiige^

W. Webbe

18. learnedst masters, ib. 36.

hoUowst,

Puttenham

144. dearst, ib. 231. minionst ih. 232.

cunningst, Peele Ed. I 379.

Sometimes these contracted forms are further mutilated.

So valyaunts

for

valyauntst,

one of the most

val-

yaunts men, Morte D. 83,31. (Romstedt, 38, cites this as

a romance

plural.)

i-

15. A finalsyllabic -y is often changed to before the comparative endings, as always in

Usage on
this point

present English.

was not

fixed at

the end of the sixteenth century.

is

Rarely, the final vowel

-e;

omitted altogether, before the ending, giving

or the

latter contracts

with the former, giving

-t/e-.

-i-

in place of the

normal
1)

-ie-

or

thriftyer,

Gosson
PI.

75.

goodlier,

Puttenham

122.

manliest,

York
I 70.

290,519.

liiffeliest, ib.

308, 17. homylyest,

Skelton

goodlyest,

TM.

126. happiest, ib. 185. readyest,

W. Webbe

64. goodliest,

Ascham

Schol. 130. holiest,

50.

ib.

37.

2) the fcllowlist prist,

Misogonus 445,

cowardleste,

xMore Utop. 39.

is

16.

After a short vowel, a final consonant

So generally
in present English.

often doubled in the comparative and superbyggar, Morte D. 656,32. byggest, ib. 814,21. doolfidler,

lative.

ib.

846,

5.

gladder,

York

PI.

425, 135.

maddest Four

P. 382.

fitter,

Ascham Tox.
But

124. thinner, ib. 132. tvelcomtnest, meryest, Pynest,

Lyly End. 41.

trymest,

Hey wood

Love 171.

etc.

14

J.

Terminational Comparison.

in G.

17.
of.

The

isolated comparative rfarre

(= dearer)

occurs

W.

3967.

It is

probably not a contraction of

dearer,

on the analogy of

ME.

narre,

farre,

and warre,
deorra,

62, 65, 50, but merely the old

weak form, OE.

ME.

derre

>

derre

> darre.
2.

Use.

18.

In the fifteenth century,

is

although the

parison by more and most

al

widespread, the

com terminationall

remains the prevailing type

The endings
EngUsh words
classical
-er

in

dialects
but to

( 24).

and

-est

are added, not only to

strong,
ro-

native

like hard,

great,
like

mance and
marvellous,
feeling

loan

words

famous, perillous,

or to

hybrid words

like doleful,

without any

of incongruity.
less

Later,

the endings -er

and

-est

are found

normally with longer words, terminational

comparison alternating with comparison by more and most; but there is still no uniformity of usage.
The endings
dissyllabic,
-er

and

-est

are

added

to

monosyllabic,

and

trisyllabic or longer adjectives.

19.

With monosyllables
hold;
ib.

( 25):
ib.

gladder, Morte
fowlest, ib.

D. 53, 23.
628,
ib.

72, 19.

falsest,

67, 26.

9. wiser,

York

PI. 283, 312. fayner, ib. 297, 156. derrest,

ofW. 8137. fayrer, ib. 8444. dulcer, Douglas I 29, 14. tntest, PL. XXVI. tallest, ib. XXXIX. gretter, Elyot I 168. fitter, Ascham Tox. 116. leefer, Wyatt TM. 109. aptest, ib. 172. rightest.
282,279.
gaiest, ib.

318,339

freschar, G.

Utop.

144.

sadder, Udall

RD.

67. saddest,
78. lyker,

Gascoigne 49.

grauest, ib. 49, fayrest,

liefest,

Watson

Lyly Euph. 87.

Puttenham 214.
20.

scarcest, ib. 207.

1)

With dissyllables
discretest,

( 26):

Oxytones:

Ascham

Schol.

57. discreetest.

I.

Terminational Comparisou.

15

Puttenham 270, 271.

directer, ib. 238. profoundest, ib. 125.

Markham Spenser FQ. IX 4.

diuinest,
ib.

43. austerest,
cxtremest, ib.

Nash UT.

102. expertest,

2) Adjectives in -y: hardyer,

Morte D. 305,34.
grysylyest,
ib.

i)ryuyest,

51,15.

semelyest,
Pi.

ib.

145,15.

ib.

584,22.
thriftiest,

manlyest,

York

290, 519.

luffeliest,

308, 17.

PL. XLVIII 35.

pratyer,
S.

heartiest, ib.

IV

43.
ib.

lowliest, ib.

LX

47.

Skelton I 299. homylyest,

goodlyest,

70.
ib.

busier, Latimer,

46.

TM.

126.

happiest,

185.

worthiest,

Wyatt TM.
thriftyer,

121.

friendlier,

Wyatt 64

holyest,

Utop. 146.
likelier,
ib.

Gosson
lasiest,

75. dcndlyer,
ib.

Lyly Euph. 98.

EE. 314.

419.

kinyliest,

Misfortunes of Arthur

291. goodlier,
id.

Puttenham

122. cleaneliest, id. 275. comdiest,

ib.

207. readier,
3)

Kyd
in
ib.

Sp.Trag. 99. readiest,

12.

Adjectives

-le

and
658,1.
PI,

-er

12):

simplyer,

Morte

D. 198,10.
ib.

aheler,

noblest, ib.

339,5. gcntelyst,
481,
2.

390, 14. jentilest,

York

484, 132

gentillest, ib.

genteleste,
idelest,

Utop. 91. humblest.

Misfortunes of Arthur 275

Sidney Ap. 20.

92, 997.

nimblest,
bittrest,

Nash UT.
Latimer

122.

beytterer,

Digby Mysteries
ib. vttrest,

S. 190. byttereste,

TM.
1

105. properest,

Lyly EE. 293, 352. slenderer,

Puttenham
4)

14.

slenderest, Peele

BA. 428.
Morte
407,
4.

Adjectives
ib.

in

-fid

feythftdlest,

D. 48, 36.
dolefullest,

shamefullest,
ib.

359, 23.

uoftdlest,

ib.

425,

8.

loyefidlest, ib.

524,32.

dolcfidler,

G. of

ferfidst,

Dig})y

Mysteries

41, 373.

thanfuUest,

W. 10644. Hey wood

North-

Love

171.

wofidlcst,

Norton Gorb.
Lyly,
letter

125.
to

lawfulUr,

brooke 40.

faithfullest,

Watson, Watson's

Poems
chedest,

30. moumefulst, Spenser Shep. Cal.

XI

79, 53.

5) Adjectives in -ed: wickedder, Northbrooke 133. tvre(t)-

TM.

114.

wretched' st,

Greene AA. 241.

18,36.

learnedst,

Ascham

Schol. 247;

W. Webbe

16

I.

Terminational Comparison.

6)

Adjectives in

-ous,

-ish,

-est

famousest, Morte

D.

278, 22 greuouser, Latimer S. 191. famoust,

Puttenham 242.

thievisher,

Gammer

Gurton's Needle 240.

earnester,
;

Aseham Tox.

50, honesier,

Schol. 37; Respublica 347,20;

Damon and Pithias 181 Ascham Common Conditions 641,

S. 49.
safoivest,

1189; Bacon 90; Latimer

7)

Adjectives

in

-otc:

Heywood Love

171.

narrouer,
ib.

Ascham Tox.
Puttenham

157;
144.

Lyly Euph. 433. narrowest,

hoUoivst,

8) Adjectives

enchng in heavy consonant groups

vahj-

anter,

Morte D. 447,
70.

17. vah/antest, ib. 454, 21, forwarder,

PL. XCI
26, 27
;

auncienter,
;

W. Webbe

87.

auncientest, ib.

Faust-Book 60

Utop. 94, 145. gallantest, Puttenham

;

204

Gosson

58. perfeder, ib. 68.

Ascham Tox.

20. per-

fectesf,

Gosson 58; Bacon 148; Nash UT. 69;

Wyatt, 60. pleasantest,

Damon and
Puttenham

Pithias 86. pleasanter,

261. decanter,
9)

ib.

149. inwardest,
:

Bacon

109.
secrettest,

Various adjectives
7.

ryallest,

Morte D. 163,5.

Berners
ellest,

murrainer.

Gammer
277.

Gurton's Needle 221. cru21. minions't, Putten-

TM.
232.

252. perfiter,
ingratest,
ib.

Ascham Tox.

ham

tvantonest,

W. Webbe
ib.

41.

icelcommest,
firtilest,

Lyly End. 41. whdesomest,

Euph.

467.

Sidney 62.

21.
3.

With trisyllables (27):

ivorshipfuUest, ib.

tvorshypfuUer,

Morte

D. 668,

425, 26. merueyllest, ib. 66, 22.

horryhlest, ib. 296, 17. gloryosest,

violenter,

Digby Mysteries 151,351.

Ancient Ballads, 39,
ib.

Surrey

TM.

27. contrary est.

S.

diligenter,

Latimer

53.

diligenteste,

Plough,
171.

30.
in-

cowardleste, Utop. 39,

uentiuest,

manerlyest,
1

Heywood Love
ib.
ib,

Ascham

Schol,

15.

dellicatest,

Gascoigne
68,

St. Gl.

82. dangerousest,

Gosson

70,

notahlest,
terriblest,

cowardlier,

Clyomon and Clamydes

507.

503. curiouser^

Terrainational Comparison.

17

Greene AA. 246.

of 1604).
passaUest,
hcggarliest,

heautifullcst,

Marlowe Faustus
delkatcst,

98. (Quarto

hmablest,

Lodge
78.

98.

Lyly Euph. 35.

57,

Bacon
ib.

heautifullcst,

Nash UT.
ib.

139.

198. triumphantest,

79. excellentest. Sid-

ney

28.

130;

22.

With quadrisyllables
Bacon
14.

28):

honorahUst,

Utop. 94. honourablest,

admirablest,
1604).

Nash UT.

Marlowe Faustus 98 (Quarto of

65. melancholiest,
23.

reasonablest,

Lodge

Lyly EE. 287.

these

glauce

at

examples shows by what

authors they are used, and in what sort of writing,

and

makes

clear the

agreement
Ulier

or

disagreement with

present usage. Among

comparatives Tightest and
scarcely
to

the monosyllabic adjectives, the

seem noteworthy, as forms

English.
as

be

found in

})resent

Among

the

dissyllables,

such

comparatives
etc.

uirJceder,

imcardest

ancienter, gallantest,

were as
as

common
etc.

then as now,
delicatest,

and the longer comparatives,

excellentest,

dangerousesf,

gloriousest,

admirablest,

perhaps

more
in

common.
mal.

Instances like
( 6),

the latter are found

often

modern English
were they

but they are exceptional, not norprevailing,

Nor, notwithstanding the freedom then

normal) at the end of the sixteenth century.

in

They were

the fifteenth, but a century later they are

as

optional forms, to be regarded neither

exce})tional.

normal nor as

Many
(cf.

of the

more unusual compai-atives

cited are

found

in passages written in

colloquial

style, or in
7),

dialogue

similar usage in

modern English,

as thievishrr,

murrainer,

Gammer

Gurton's Needle, Nash's trhan2)hantest,

beautifullest, or Marlowe's admirablcst.

On

the other hand,

comparatives like ancienter, pcrfectcr, are used by careful

Pound, Comparison of Adjectives
2

18

Periphrastic Comparison.

writers,
cast.

such as Ascham, in passages of studied

very certain distinction can be

literary

No

made

here.

A summary

of the chief differences between sixteenth

century and modern Enghsh comparison will be found at

the end of the next chapter.

11.

Periphrastic Comparison.
fifteenth
-er

and

24. In the

century, comparison
is

by more

most,

though well on the way,

not fully established,

comparison by
vailing method.
of

and

-est

remaining the prethe early part

The York Plays from

are

the

century,

plays which
in

not

onl}'

rude

but

provincial,

being written

the Northern

dialect,

show

scarcely

any periphrastic superlatives not

elatives ( 78).

In the Morte Darthur, which

may

stand as the most im-

portant text of the period, more

are

and most comparatives

(Baldwin,

common, but
writes,

are

by no means normal.

42,

...

except in these double forms, the

more and most comparison appears very rarely*, but

instances are cited below,

many

and these may be

multiplied.)

In the Paston Letters, periphrastic comparatives are more

frequent,
at
first

mostly

elatives,

then

oftener

genuine

comparatives.

Numerically they are exceeded, however,

by terminational comparatives.

Throughout the century

when both methods

are used,

the form of comparis-

on

is

governed by no fixed principle, such as

length, ending, accent, or the source of the word.

Instead the two methods are used quite indiscriminately,

according to the authors choice.

time current ( 4

The

belief for a long

5)

that comparison

by more and most

Periphrastic Comparieon.

19

is

restricted chiefly to

words of Latin or romance

origin,

is

without foundation.

During the
superlatives

fifteenth century,
steadily,

the use
until,

of periphrastic

increases

with the beginning

of the sixteenth

century,
as
it

the comparison

by more and

most

is

as

common

is

today,

because of the wide-

spread fondness for elative superlatives.

For some

statistics

on

this point v.

79.
is

Comparison by more and most

syllables

found with mono-

and

dissyllables, as well as with longer adjectives.

( 19):
ib.

25.

With monosyllables
more hyghe
2, 16.
9.

more

nere,

Morte
like,

D. 70, 27.

lygnage,

222, 16.

more

Caxton, En.
Bl.

more

dere, G. of
grcte,
ib.

W.
more

845. more hyghe,

ib.

and Eg. 176,

more

187, 18. most fay r,

large,

156,

1213. moost
fitte,

thyk, ib.

166. 13.

Elyot

II

289. more

Love

163, 87.

son 92.

Ascham Tox. 66. more straunge, Heywood W. Webbe 59. more hote, Watmore strong, Marlowe Tamb. 11 67; Bacon 141.
more rough,

more

false,

Lyly Euph.

77.

more

white,

Spenser FQ.

I 4.

mooste lyke, Elyot 11 371. most

loth,

most hard,

TM.

253.
119.

most dere.

Lever

128. most rude.

16.

Ancient

Ballads

most

fit.

Dee 35; Ascham Tox.

ritch,

thus dooing you shall most

all,

be most fay re, most

most

ivise,

you

shall

dwell upon Superlatives, Sidney Ap. 72.

More than half these examples

the writer

are from prose, where

need

not have

been influenced by

metrical

requirements.

1)

26.

With dissyllables
most
S.

( 20):

Oxytones:
Latimer

entier,

Bl.

and Eg. 179,5.

Plough
27.

more
most

syncere,
abiect,

20. moost dbiecte, ib.

More Utop.
36.

102. mooste experte, ib. 47.

precise. Misfortunes of

more

obscure,

Hakluyt

more

Arthur 256. more

2*

20
divine,

Periphrastic Comparison.

Marlowe Tamb.

11 72.
exact,

more profound, more expert,

120.

Lyly Euph. 440. more

ib.

Puttenham

most severe,

289.
2)

Adjectives in -y: more hardy, Morte D. 53, 22; 80, 27.

moost

manly,

ib.

163, 9.
37.

most holy,

PL

XXX

21.

most

goodly, ib.
mightie,

XLIX

most harty. Nature 154, 1272. more

Hakluyt

83. most easie, ib. 25. most trustie, Udall,

RD.
more
Tox.

32. most stmiy,

TM.

179. most louelie,

130.

happy,

Norton

Gorb.

Markham 83. more costlye, Ascham

ib.

128. moost redy, ib.

ciimelie,
ib.

60

most happie,

Schol. 35.
ivorthye,

more

44. most busy,

Gosson 48. more

Lever 24.

most

worthy,
witty,

Greene

BB.
60.

156.

more

redy,

Lyly EE. 248. most

Ap. 61.

Puttenham

more

iveary,

Sidney

3) Adjectives in -le

and

-er:

most

noble,

Morte D. 163, 2.
Bale KJ. 62.
11 289.
able.

moste moste
noble,

gentill, gentill,

York

PI.

249, 193. most

suttell.
ib.

Elyot II 149. more ample,

S.

most

Latimer

32; Puttenham 292. moost

Tox. 18. more

noble, ib. Schol. 59.

most humble, E.
ib.

Ascham Webbe 14

more
more
eager,

gentle,

Lyly Euph. 71. more simple,

EE. 258.
II 325.

sober,

Bale KJ. 99. more proper, Elyot

82.

more
117.

Markham
more

most

proper,

Ascham
bitter,

Schol.

mooste tender.

More Utop.
slender,

99.

more

Lyly Euph. 114

374, 409.
ib.

Puttenham
more

108.

more proper,

159.
4) Adjectives in -fnl:

spedeful,

Four

S. I 12.

moste

hatefidl,

R. and B.

147.

more shameful, Skelton 189. more

mooste nedeful,
ib.

careful,
ful,
ib.

Latimer
21.

S. 46.

124.

most law-

more paynfuU,
163, 82.

Heywood Love
donlful,

186, 842.

most

paynfuU,

ib.

most

Ilespublica

331, 33.
26.

more

watchefidl, ib. 328, 80.

moste spitefuU,
nedefull,

More Utop.

mostwofull, Surrey

TM,

17.

more

Ascham

Schol. 81.

Periphrastic Comparison.

21

most needful, Puttenham 35. more faithfull, Lyly EE. 258.

more

fruitefuU,

Sidney Ap. 51.

in
-ed:

5) Adjectives

more wicked,
L. 63. most

Darius 405, 1212.

blyssed,
ib.

most wycked. Bale, Three

KJ.

5.

most wicked, Utop. 160. most learned,

ivretched,

Peele

OWT.

453

W. Webbe 29. most W. Webbe 44. most sacred,

more preciose, Digby Lusty
Juventus 60.

Peele AP. 32.

6)

Adjectives in -ous,

-ish,

-est:

Mysteries,

183,363.

most precious,
39.

most famous, R.
S. 16S.
.

and B.

most

monstrouse,
13.

Latimer
ib.

moste graciouse,

Ascham Tox.
More Utop.

most tedious,

Schol. 27. most gorgeous,

lb. 125.

29.

mooste greuous,

most heynous,'\h. 126. mos^^a^iows, Lyly Euph. 267.

13.

more wondrous, Spenser FQ. XI

more

righteous, North-

brooke 80. more curious, Puttenham 168.

Elyot
II 1 10.

most
moste

folisshe,

most clownish,

W. Webbe

60.

honest,

Udall RD. 85. moost honest, moost earnest,

7) 8)

Ascham Tox.

36.

Adjectives in -ow: most mellowe, Elyot I 28. Adjectives in heavy consonant groups:
67, 351.
t7ioste

more pleas-

ant,

Digby Mysteries
ib.

prudent, Elyot II 57.

decent,

most frequent,

127. more perfect,

Wyatt 219. more

W. Webbe
more
9)

29.

mooste constante.

More Utop.

146.

most

auncicnt, Gascoigne, St.Gl. 35. more auntient, Lyly Euph. 217.

gallant,

more valyant,

ib.

313.
special,
S.

Various adjectives: more

28.

most partial, PL.

XXXVin
fiolem,

more

certeyne.
ib.

Four

II 44. moste mortall,

Elyot 119. most

Skelton

cruell,

148. more facile, ib. II 259. more

133.
Schol.

most
132.

holsome,

most

perfit,

ib.

moste

Ascham Tox. 38. harayne, Heywood

quyct,
ib.

Wether 237, 701. more

teine,

private,

Kyd

Sp. Tr. 145. most cer188.

more

ivanton,

Lyly Euph. 153. most

22

Periphrastic Comparison.

most loathsome,

ib.

End. 51. more

ciuill,

Puttenham

22.

most crudl,

ib.

227. most ivholsom, Sidney Ap. 40.

peryllous,
ib.

more

27.

With trisyllables (21): most

ib.

Morte
431,9.

D. 232,7. moost vylaynous,

naturel,
ib.
ib.

428,1- nwost horryhle,

ib.

649,2.

most debonair,

694, 18

19.

moost bounteous,

733,7. more pitevs,

Digby Mysteries, 182,

322. most curyous, Caxton En. 319. more pernicious, Elyot

349.

more consonant,
S.

Four

S.

11

44.

more

rebellious,

Latimer
curious,

137.

more marvellous.

Four PP. 379. more

most

dissolute,

Damon and Pitliias 47. more contrary e, Lever 27. W. Webbe 44. most dangerous, Nortlibrooke 55.
ib.

most accustomed,

133.

more prayse

ivorthy.
ib.

Lodge

8.

more

glorious,

Lyly Euph. 184. more

ib.

pestile^it,

EE. 327.

more amorous,

317. most excellent, most arrogant, Putten-

ham
ib.

21.

more

serious,

Kyd

Sp.

Trag. 58.

more

delicate,

35.

28. With quadrisyllables (22): more acceptable, Morte D. 40, 16. moost adventurous ib. 663, 33. mor tolerabill,

Digby Mysteries 212,1218. most

expedient,

PL. CI 80.

more presompteous, R. and B. 102. more commendable, Latimer

S.

133. moste profitable,

63.

Ascham Tox.
most injurious,

79.

most miserable,
112. most dis-

Wyatt TM.
consolate,

more

profitable.

More Utop.

most

Markham notorious, Kyd

29.

64.

Greene AA. 227.

Sp. Trag. 121.

the

Of several adjectives in succession, only

takes more or most.

first

The

mooste noble and valiant princis,

redinge,
ib.

Elyot I 39.

the

most sweet and pleasant

55.

more sad and

homely garments, Puttenham 290. mooste experte, politique

and cumiynge, More Utop.

47.

the most famous, renouned

and

excellent,

W. Webbe

28.

Periphrastic Comparison;

23

in

30. In the

comparison of two qualities of the

only the periphrastic

same subject,

mode
is

is

used.
to

So
have

modern English.

When an

object

said

more of one quality than another,

is

the phrase with more

pleasant.'

alone used, thus Hhe news was more true than

[Not truer than pleasant.)

W.

D. Whitney, Essentials of
als

English Grammar.

Compare the German, mehr wahr

Cases in which
used,
62),

angenehm, not wahrer als angenehm.

terminational
honest (cited
to the

the

mode

is

as Shakespeare's fairer than

by Franz

impossible logically, are due

mistaken conception of more fair as a comparative.

thynge by

my

iudgement more

costlye

than nedefull,

Ascliam Tox. 128. more carnall than

lye then godly,

spiritual,

more world-

Lever 72.

31.

An

adjective

may be compared according

to

both modes,
One
D.

terminational and periphrastic,

by the same
Morte
the

author sometimes in the same passage:

of the perilloust the

knyghtes

of the

world,
ib.

216,11;

most peryllous

knyght,

232,7.
is,

happiest hfe, Surrey 65; their time most happy

ib.

Upon
tvhiter,

a lowly asse more white than snow. Yet she

much

Spenser FQ.

I 4.

ivantonest,

W. Webbe

41

In his most

wanton Bookes,
delycate,
ib.

ib.

44. delicatest, Lyly

Euph. 35; the most

more
slender,
ib.

ib.

39. slenderer,

Puttenham 114;

108. honourahlest.

Bacon

14; the most honourable,

34.

in
the

32.

Sometimes a combination of the two

occurs, even

modes
are of

one phrase
same
length.

when

the

positives

The
more

truest

and moste

apte,

Elyot II 440. laufuller and

loivest

honest,

Northbrooke 40. to the

92.

and most

base,

Puttenham

No

she

is

wilder and more hard withal,

Kyd

Sp. Trag. 44.

24

The Comparison of

Participles.

In cases where the positives are the same, the second

comparative
est flint,

is

ahvays terminational
99.

more hard than hard-

Watson

33.

The

chief points in which

sixteenth century
seem, in general,
the use of more.

usage differs from modern u s a g e

to

be these:

(1)

The

greater freedom in
(2)

and most with monosyllables.

The

greater freedom in
in -y

the use of more and most with dissyllables

and

-Je

and and
he

-er.

(3)

The

greater freedom

in the addition

of -er

-est to trisyllables

and

quadrisyllables. Other differences

the usage of

special comparative forms and

developed special meaning.

constructions.

Many have

Others have been lost or altered.

survey of these

is

perhaps more important

than a survey of the modes of

comparison in general.

Ill,

The Comparison
1.

of Participles.

Terminational Mode.
and
est to participial

34.

The

addition of -er

forms,

as in Nash's movingest,

Thomas Hey wood's

is is

lovingest,

and

Shakespeare's curseder, damnedest,

the

scarcely found until

seventeenth

century.

It

noteworthy

that

ter-

minational comparison of participles appears so

late.
c),

Such and
That
Gill's

forms are frequent with Shakespeare (Franz 62

continue

common
not

after

the

seventeenth century.
is

they

are

normal comparatives

shown by

testimony
leameder,

in 1621, v.
leaniedest,

5.

(But compare

Ben Jonson's

1640.)

Cunning and willing show

terminational comparison,
origin
is

but with these the participial

probably

lost sight of.

The Comparison of
1)

Participles.

25

Thei were conynger

then

1,

Kespublica
91.

354, 26.

cunninger

and
ib.

rycher,

Ascham Tox.
cunningest,

the

cunningcr
ib.

workman,

Schol. 143. the cunm[n]gest Master,

121,

who should be counted

cunning'st Englishman,
shall find him,

Puttenham
and

53.

our

Peele E.

379.

tvillinger

you
their

Lyly EE. 377. wiUinger

ib.

to dress

up

house than their heads,

2) curstest.

475.
171.
oldest

Hey wood Love

Schol. 147.

and

learnedst

time,

Ascham

the highest and most learnedst

18.

toppe of true Poetrie,

Peele

W. Webbe

the curstest quean,

OWT.

453.

2.

The Periphrastic Mode.

participial
is

35.

The normal comparison of

fonns

in the fifteenth

and the sixteenth century

by more and

most, as now.
1)

more

filching,

Gammer
J.

Gurton's
200.

Needle

240.

more
Peele

searching

eye,

Greene

IV
54.

more

alluring,

AP.

54. the moost briherynge thefe,

R. and B. 137.

most

ragyng yre,

Wyatt TM.
99.

mooste tender
florishing,

and louynge
132.

mother, More Utop.

dissembling wretch,

moste

ib.

most

Lyly Euph.

88.

most flowing, PuttenCal.

ham
more
2)

129. more cunning, Spenser Shep.

XII

7.

more

cunning,

Puttenham

102.

most cunnynge, More Utop. 47.

ivilling,

tvilling,

Ascham

Schol. 19. most

Lyly EE. 285.

21.

more preysed and renoumcd, Morte D. 394,

more

beholding (a corruption of beholden), G. of

W.

Caius MS. 19,

II

299;

Lyly EE. 221.

more assured, Elyot

108.

more
10.

afraid,

Lyly EE. 189. more amaz'd,

13.
ib.

Spenser FQ.

VI

most preysed, Morte D, 316,

most beholdyng,
345, 10.

ib. 42,

24;

246,2. most proued knyghtes,

most beholddyn.

Digby Mysteries

80, 658.

most

desired joy, PL.

LVI

44.

26

Irregular Comparison.

moste blessed conspiracy, Elyot

207. most sharpest witied

and

excellent
65.

lemed,

ib.

59. most

assured

frende,

Udall

RD.

most accustomed, Northbrooke 133. m^st bounden,

Lyly Euph. 204. moste learned men,

learnedst, ib.
18. most occurs' d,

W. Webbe
most

91.
I 35.

most
most

Marlowe Tamb.
92.

eleuate

or

shrillest,

Puttenham

blessed,

Nash

UT.

50. most burning sighted bird, ib. 122.

3.

Better

and Best with

best

Participles.

36. Better

and

are found

sometimes with past

less

participles instead of

more and most, a usage

common

at present ( 49).

Better lemed than a greate sight of vs, Latimer S. 67.

the best lemed doctor, Lever 88.

My

best-beloved lord, Peele

BA. 423.

IV. Irregular Comparison

1.

Survival of Umlaut.
survives
in strenger,

37.

Umlaut comparison
and
older, oldest,

strangest, lenger, lengest, elder, eldest, beside stronger, strongest,

longer, longest,

the latter being

new
were
eald,

forms built upon the positives.

long, lengra,
lengest,

In OE. the forms

strengest,

strong,

strengra,

and

ieldra, ieldest (dialectal eldra, eldest).

The umlauted forms of strong disappear. Even in OE. the superlative

38.

are the
strongest

first

to

occurs
less

(Sievers

310).

Hence, and because

the earlier

the

word was

frequently

used,

generaUzation

of the vowel

of the positive.

IrregnJar Comparison.

27

1)

Strenger, strengest: strengest knyghte,

strengest

Morte D. 313,4.
ib.

strengest knyghtes, ib. 478, 11.

stretigest
ib.

wyn,

653,24.

castel,

ib.

827, 17.

(But,

strongest

champyon,
strenger,

649, 32.

stronger

and

stronger,

ib.

142, 33.)

PL. strengar, Nature 91,552.

Later instances of strenger and strengest were not found.
2) Tlie

Northern forms are unuralauted stranger,

strangest,

strangest,

York

PI. 327, 215.

Fortune

is

most and

strangest
1 75,25.

KingisQuair37,149. thes^ra/i^es^Sampsoun, Douglas

39.

The umlauted forms

they

of long

persist into

the

middle of the sixteenth century.

the

In the last

quarter of

century

have

practically

disappeared.

Lenger

and

lengest in the Faerie

Queene are archaisms.

They do

not appear in Shakespeare.

1)

Lenger, lengest: no lenger delayes, Morte D. 355,

8.

lengar delay,

Digby Mysteries
respite,

69, 406. lenger respite, Every135.)

man
TM.

103.

{longer

ib.

lenger

time, -Surrey

50; Sackville Gorb. 136. lenger Ufe,

141. lenger
life,

TM.

132. lenger
lengest

partes, ib.

Spenser FQ. 1X43. the

days, Elyot
2)

146. lengest time,

TM.

189.
langer, langcst
longest, ib.

The Northern forms are unumlauted

Douglas
11

langer,

221,15; James VI 55.

60.

40.

By

the

end of the sixteenth

century

the

um-

lauted forms of old are used, as now, as attributes without

than, chiefly of people, to distinguish relationship.

Elder
less

(Sweet, N. Eng. Gr.

2084

94)

is

in

meaning

the

comparative of old than the opposite of younger.

as in the Paston Letters,

Earher,

and the Morte Darthur

(v.

Blume,

Die Sprache der Paston Letters; Baldwin, Inflections and

Syntax of the Morte Darthur, 35) older and

nate without

elder alter-

much

distinction.
is

Even with Shakespeare

the
70).

modem

distinction

not always carried out (Franz

28
Elder,
older,
eldest,

Irregfular

Comparison.
into

persisted

modem

Englisli

beside

oldest,

developing special meaning while

lenger, lengest

strenger,

strengest

and

were crowded out.

Elder,

el-

dest were probably protected by more frequent use, per-

haps

also

by the influence of the cognate noun

utter

eld.

Siiiiilarly,
1)

remains beside

outer,

60.

Elder, eldest:

He

loved a gentil woman a grete dele

I

elder

than

I,

Morte D. 673, 23.

am

elder brother,

PL.
174.

CCXLVI
By your
Then
the

198.

Your son John

elder witt,

the elder, ib.

ib.

CCXXI
97.
Cal.

older son,

John Paston,

CXXVI

But we
11 35.

tway bene men of

Spenser, Shep.

as the spring gives place to elder time, ib.

sister,

XII

73.

elder

Lyly EE. 451.

and

in

his elder

yeres,
II 47.

Lodge

49. thy elder brothers worth,

Marlowe Tamb.

Horatio, thou art older than thy father,

(Editions
eldest
eldest

Kyd
I

Sp. Trag. 131.

of 1618, '23, '33

have

elder.)

wyl haue the

damoysel, Morte D. 149, 28

29.

Master Paston the

PL.

CCXIV
ib.

167. eldest daughter, Gascoigne Phil. 92.

eldest

dame,

109.

eldest

son,

Marlowe Tamb.

18.

eldest brother, 2)

Nash UT.

204.
are

The umlauted forms

former:

used sometimes
of
the
eldeste

in the

sense of ancient,

One

poetes

of

Greece, Elyot II 359.

Albeit that in elder tymes, Spenser

12.

Shep. Cal. Gen. Arg.

For the

use of elder

and

eldest

as

substantives,

v.

85. 86.

2.

Comparatives and Superlatives with Consonant

Doubling.

41.

Forms

comparative

consonant doubling in and superlative are common in the early

with

the
part

Irregular Comparison.

29

of the fifteenth century, dying out at the end of the

teenth

fif-

and the beginning of the

sixteenth.

Such forms
in the thir(v.
is

are frequent in OE., especially in

LWS., and
dialects

teenth century
dissertation).

they appear

in all

Brtick's

The cause of the doubling

after long

the

-r

of the comparative ending, which occasioned doubling in

late

OE, even
etc.

vowels:

blxddre,

attor,

hluttor,

moddor,

229. Later, the doubling of the consonant caused shortening of the vowel, as in
Sievers

Chaucer's

dep,

depper,

(fret,

gretter

(Sweet

History
finds
in

of
the

English Sounds

410.632).
but, as seen

Matzner,
-i-

291,
-;*-

explanation of the gemination in an

jective

or

the adcited,
in.

ending

in the

examples just
in other
-j-

the doubling

occurs as frequently

words as

comparatives,

words

in

which no

was ever

present.
is

The phenomenon
often called

of consonant doubling in comparison

shortening',
latter,

Vowel

a less exact designation,

because in the case of

OE. and ME. have a short

as well as in the compar-

vowel in the positive (OE.

ative

Ixt)
is

and

superlative.

This

pointed out by Briick.

Originally the doubling belonged only to the comparative,

but was soon transferred to the superlative by

also
to

analogy, often

the positive,
grett.

as in the

fifteenth

century forms swett and

swettest,
ib.

Morte D. 859,

12.

gretter,

ib. ib.

38, 8.

grettest,
sivetter,

468, 14. derreat,

York

PI. 282,

280;

486, 199.

ib.

424,89.

gretter, Bl.

and Eg. 184,36; (but

gretest,

66,

10

etc.). gretter,

G. of

W. 2594
ib.

ib.

8609. deppest, Caxton

73, 484.

Reynard the Fox.

swetter, ib. 58, 94.

94, 30. fymiest,

grettest,
I

Digby Mysteries
swefter,

60, 165.

(rhyming
246,

with

better)

Skelton
ib.

102. stcetter,

Heywood Wether

934. gretter,

248, 983. greattcr, Bale Three L. 57. gretter,

30
ib.

Irregular Comparison.

KJ. 56.

gretter,

R. and B. 77. greatter, Elyot 11 43, 180.

217.

greatest, ib. I

118; IT 253. greatter, Ancient Ballads

For had
Cal.

his

wesand bene a

little

widder,

Spenser Shep.

IX

210.

Spenser's

widder

is

the

latest

case

noted.

Henry

Machyn (1550 63) wntes

but
this

grett, gretter, grettest,

also swett,

has

Uttle

significance,

since

he doubles almost

all fs: feU,

220. whytt, 298. owUer, 257. of

latter

42.

Traces

consonant doubling remain

58.

in

55 and

utter

In other adjectives, as great,

lost

sweet, deep, dear, the

doubling was

in later English,

through the influence of the

3.

positive.

Comparative Combination of heterogeneous Words.

43. In a small

group of words, the comparative and

from the same
micel, god,

superlative are not

root as
yf'el,

the positive.
lytel.

So

in

OE
not

are

compared

and
is

It is

often said that the comparison of these words

It
is

'defective'.

much defective as complementary, or supplementary, the place of the regular comparatives

so

heterogeneous words, related in meaning and so completing and assisting one another, although etymologically unrelated. Cf.
being suppUed by

on

this point Osthoff,

Vom

Suppletivwesen dcr indogermani-

schcn

Sprachen.

Erweiterte

akademische Rede.
the comparative

Heidelare

berg 1900.
Teut. -imn,

In each case
-ista-.

suffixes

These cause umlaut of the root vowel

except

in

indra

(ma

-j-

izan)

where

-ai-

blends

to

diphthong.
a)

Much, More, Most.

micel-\- Scand. rnjok) has the

44.

Much (<COE.

compar-

atives more (OE. mdra)

and moe (OE. md,

Mercian nm).

Irregular Comparison.

31

and the
lauted,

superlative
mdsf).

most (OE. m^st,

in

Mercian

unumand
the
is,

Teut.

stem

nta-.

In

later

English much

was supplanted
large.

in the positive
in

by the

adjectives great

The vowel
of more

most

is

probably

not

due

to

influence

and moe on the WS. mxst.

from mxst.
is

Most

rather to be derived from the Mercian form,

mast, mgst, beside mest
atives

giving

ME.

Of

the

two comparsize etc.,

more and moe, more

Gill,

used of quantity,

and moe of number.

ative of

1619,

makes mo the

compar-

many, and more the comparative of much.

are moch, mich, mouch, mochel, mucil, mekell,

Variants
maist, moost,

meikeU, mehle; -morr, mor, moir, mair, mo, moe, moo; -mcstr,
moste,
moosie,
etc.

Of

these,

the Northern

micMe and the Southern mochel, and the Northern mai,

and

maist, sur\'ive at the

1)

end of the sixteenth century.

Bl.

Positives: mochc, Morte D. 213,31;

16,9;
G.
of

and Eg.

63,7:

W.

1767.

mouche,

Nature 80,181.
II 109.

mucil, Pride of Life 4, 37. mochel,

Spenser Shep. Cal.

II 61, 20.

mich, Kingis Quair 37, 50;

Douglas

miche,

G.

of

W. Auchinleck MS.

12, 189.

myche,

Mankind

46, 194.

mijkel anger,
mikell, ib.

Morte D. 371,

22. mehjll boste, G. of

melcill,

W.
1.

1522.

Caius MS. 11, 161.

Douglas, 51,
mickle,

meUe

host, ib. 93, 8. meikill

mervale

ib.

114,3.

Spenser

Shep. Cal. VII 16. mickle, Peele

J.

MP. 557; 563; Greene

cf.

IV. 190
2)

etc.

For mickle

in

Shakespeare

Franz

68.

Comparatives: morr beholdyng, Morte D.

212, 1218. moir, Douglas
I

640, 11.
tolera-

mor glad, Digby Mysteries 208, 1089; 179,227. mor

bill,

ib.

13, 11

mair,

ib.

48,7.

mare, G. of

W. 3550;

Wright's C^haste Wife 321; Digby

Mysteries 116, 742. mair. James

3)

VI

45.

The comparative

mo:
869,

moo
5.

knyghtes,

Morte

D. 507, 18.

mo

angellys,

ib.

wythout

moo wordes,

32
Bl.

Irregular Comparison.

and Eg.

mo

there be, such as

for his

words,

mo examples, Nature 147, 106. The is She, More should be gods thank grace, TM. 250. infinit mo, Ascham Tox. 131. moe ib. Schol. 16. mo, More Utop. 58. no mo quarels,
28, 3.
Billables,

Udall RD. 85. moe

Peele AP. 19.

Gascoigne 34.

many

mo,
55.

mo and more excellent examples, Puttenham

and

Mo
other

is

often used with a superfluous other:

lettes,
ib.

infinite

mo

Ascham Tox.
It

27.

and many

other

like

thinges,

30.

occurs frequently in the collocation

withouten mo: withoutyne moo,

more,

York

PI.

179,34. withouten

Wyatt TM.

92. (So more: wythoutyn

more forthe they

withouten

rode, G. of

W.

719.

Cf. Zupitza's note, p. 358.

more == 'without more ado'.)

Sometimes

wayes wo,
4.

m^ follows the substantive: and many Ascham Tox. 162. other goodes mo. Lever 32.
t)e

Superlatives: Of myrthys ye schuU haue

meest,
Cf.

G. of
also

W.

10639.
ib.

mast of myght, York

1,4. althirm^st,
ib.

PI. HI, 283.

formast,

110 270.
ib. I
1
,

maist

gudlie,

Douglas
God,

I 61, 18.

wmis^ gudliest,

45, 5.

Lufe
other

maist

tliy

Ballad of

Good Counsel

(in

versions, most).

The

rnaist part,

James VI

64,

45.

Much, more, most are used frequently in the

etc.,

sense of great, strong, large,

in this sense.
in
ib.

much disappearing
is
.

earliest

This usage of the comparatives

msest,

common
.
.

OE.: healsprna
247.
It is

Beowulf

78.

maran

eorla,
:

found sometimes in present English

This

last loss, of all the most,

1)

Byron, Prisoner of Chillon 201.

D.

Much:
moche

tliis

moche yong man, Morte

G.
of

213,31.
gaine,

with
ib.

ooste,

W.

1767.

with moche

2675.
2)

More:
ib.

more myght,
In

Morte D.
lande

298,
there

3.

more of

prowesse,

80, 27.

all J)at

was not a

IV. Irregular Comparison.

33

more
Elyot
tlie

felon, G. of
I

W.

2632. the niore parte of his reigne,

ib.

259.

the stronger or of more mighte, worlde,

ib.

II 4.

more parte of the

11

57.

a
is

much more
not a

wondre, Bale Three L. 68.

Under hevyn
32. a farre

more

knave

in condycyon, ib.

KJ.

more couetousness,

Lever 37. a mor som, Henslowe 107. a more sweetnesse,

Puttenhara 131.
3)

Most: the moost coward and the vylaynst kyng and

knyght, Morte D. 450, 18. the fayrest lady and moost of

beaute in the world,

world,
ib.

ib.

357,23.

The moost wretche

of
all
I)e

of the
crye,

639, 37.

The moost schrewe

is

G. of

W.

2850.

Fortune

most

and

strangest, Kingis

Quair 37, 149.

The moste knave. Bale KJ.

and B.
131.

102.

moste

parte of people do wene, R.

My

most desire,

Wyatt TM.
most,
ib.
ib.

64.

Nor

call

the lyon of coward beastes the

89.

My

most desire,

TM.
loute

169.
98.

My

most

will,

260.

The most occasyon, Lever

Googe
126.

The most

mis-

fortunes,
II

The mosie

and dastarde, Udall

D. 66.

To

victours most despight, Spenser

ib.

FQ. IX

11.

In most necessitie,
Note. In the
(=T very):

43.

fifteenth century,

much

i.s

alec used adverbially

.
.

moche necessarye for

10,
15.

to enstructe

smale and
Bl.

grete,

Caxton En.
16,9.

ryght moche agreable and pleasant,

and Eg.

a virtue moche commendable, Elyot II 288.

b.

Better, Best.

better

46.

Good shows
best,

the

comparative and
betst(a),

superlative

and

from OE. betera and

more
-t-

rarely
in the

hetesta.

Teut. stem *bat-.

best

The dropping
to the
^

of the

modern

may

be

due

influence of most

and

least; or to the assimilation of

to s; or to
grettcst

both combined.

Cf.

OE.

latst

>

last,

55,

and

>

ME.

grest.
3

Pound, ComparisoQ of Adjectives.

34
bcttir grace,

IV. Irregular Comparison.

York

PI.

133, 210. better part, Douglas I

beste

108,

4.

better,

Puttenliam 170.
worst, Bl.

maner, York PL 207,

219. best
88. best,

and

and Eg.

48, 16. best oratour, Lever

More Utop.
'

92. best wine,

bet,

Lyly Euph. 408.

47.

The form

properly

an adverb (OE.

bet,

Teut. *batiz), occurs beside better in the comparative, being

used sometimes as an adjective.

And when
coigne
of Life
frailty
St.

the wretch, I cannot terme

him

bet,

Gas-

Gl. 52.

And

lerne

bet to

preclie.

The Pride
be

32,

44950.

Yet

bet

with
95.

humble heart thy

But
(v.

to confess,

Surrey

Poems

shall

bett

in time,

Spenser Shep. Cal. VII 230

Herford's

note).

48. Better and'Jes^ are occasionally

emphasized by

double comparison, 69. More fayrer, holyer, and more

35

better,

Morte D. 825,
ib.

36.
is

as

seemed most
best,

best

for

them,

181, 19.

my

power
best,

most

York

PI. 249, 206.

mine owne most

Tempest
1, 2.

TM.

234. more better, Shakespeare

best are

49. Better and

of more

used occasionally in the place

and most

to

form the degrees of comparison

is

of adjectives. This
ciples,

found sometimes with past

parti-

36.
art better
2.

Thow
of the

worthy

to

haue myne hors than

he seemed
to

I,

Morte D. 535,
fayre
7.

Moche

better

be a
Bl.

man
and

than

a creature of the

worl'de,

Eg. 63.

The use
better
ib.

of better

and

best in the expressions

if

it

be

cheap at London
is

PL. CCCXVII,

and

best

cheap,
is

CXIII,

accounted for by the fact that cheap

yet

a noun (OE. ceap, 'purchase').

IV. Irregular Comparison.

35

c)

Bad

(Evil, 111),

Worse, Worst.
yfel,

for

50. In

OE. the forms were

wierrestc,

wiersa (<C*ivierssa

*wirsra)

wiersta
evil

(<C*u)ir2ista).

According

to Sweet, the

modem

English

comes from the Kentish.

This seems doubtful, since the

not
f.

ME. vowel should be

Cf.

Luick 534, 600,

In

who
ill

suggests Northumbrian

instead
illr

of Kentish.

ME.
evil.

from the Scandinavian

came

into use beside

Later the

new

adjective

bad,

ME.

hadde,

of

uncertain

etymology

(derived

by

Zupitza by change of meaning and shortening from the

OE. noun

hmldel,

'effeminate

person',

v.

N. Eng. Diet.

had) displaced both evil

and

ill

in the positive.

Variants
werste,
ivurst,

in

the

comparative and superlative

are

wers, wurs, iverse, worsse, warse, werre, ivarre, war, warre;

etc.

Of
is

these

the

-a-

forms are northern.

The vowel
IV

variation

due
r

to the influence of the initial

[iverre,

[lours

etc.)

or

of the
r,

warre

etc.).

In

the

forms with double

assimilated.

the

s of the

OE. wiersa has been

For the double comparative worser beside worse,

1)

v.

70.

Evil:

Myn

euylle wylle,

Morte D. 359,3.
cuyll

euyll chere,
stillc),

Wright's Chaste Wife

196, 6.

(rhyming with
of

York

PI.

127, 26.

Euyll

estate,

G.
ib.

W.
in

4424.

euyll

chere, ib.
ib.

4648.

euyll

chaunce,
euyll,

4944.

euyll

wounde,
euyll
euill

5178.

he felyd

hym

ib.

5048.

more

waye, Bl. and Eg. 80, 23.

purpose,
ib.

howe

eiiill,

Elyot II 294.

ib.

310. euil lawes, Latimer S. 97. euyll to worse,

121. from euyll to worse. Lever 32.

2)

lU:

Gud
ille,

or

ill,

York

PI.

129,96. goode and

ill,

ill,

ib.
yll.

133,195.

ib.

140,68. more

ib.

196,82.
yll,

myche
3*

Mankind

46, 194.

what thing

is

good or

Respublica

36

IV. Irregular ConipariBon.

327, 60.

an

yll

one,

ib.

350, 60.
yll,

his
ib.

mother most

yll,

Horestes 494, 26. chance most

ill,

523, 785.
ill.

never so
195.

Lyly EE.
3)

6,
if

206. nor wisli

me any

Puttenham

Bad:

my

wife be hadde,

Wright's Chaste Wife

&flif7<7e

2668. good and had, Latimer S. 179. a

Utop. 93. too, too hadde, Gascoigne
so
lad,
it

diner,

More

St.

Gl. 54. both beeing

is

hard

to iudge wliich is the worste,

Lyly EE.

215. had councell,

4)

Puttenham

183.

Comparatives: who had

Arthur's knightes
ib.
. .
.

the

iverre,

Morte D.
his
lioost

62, 8.

put kyng
hatli
ib.

lot

&

to tlie tvcrre,
ib.

87,30.

he

put
356,

hem
9.

to the

wers,

147,38. the wers knightes,

etc.

werse, ib. 461, 1

506, 14

werre,

York

PI.

85, 292;

296, 108.
1.

it

will

waxe
ib.

werre, ib. 303, 317. tverse, ib. 305,

ib.

warr and warr,

|)e

436,98. worse than any Jewe,

390,320.

warse
ib.

syde,

of

W.

3536. the warsc

ib.

had the Lumbardes,

ib.

4992. the warsc,

fyght,
32.

11073. worse parte,

ib.

602.

If

we

we

gete the worre,

ib.

5214.

icers,

Douglas

III 42,

war and war,

173, 25. icers, Kingis Quair 24, 95.

farre ivars,

Heywood Love
ib.

162, 50.

in

mouche wurs

case.

Nature 80,181. worse,

84,339. wers |)en bestes, Manicorssc,

kind 45, 156. yea, and thates

Horestes 533, 1070.

The northern
Cal.
it

icarre appears as late as

Spenser Shep.
than

IX

108:

They

sayne the world

is

much war

wont.
5)

Superlatives: the werst of them, Morte

D., ib. 439,

is

17.

Do thou
and Eg.

thy werst,

ib.

839,37. the werste

paste,

York PL 356,
Bl.

212. the best

and the

ivorst

that he could,

48, 16.
all,

He

ys worst of |)em

all.

Mankind

49.

293. ivurst of

Nature 142, 872. worst, Horestes 507, 385.

also
is

51.

Bad

is

compared
as

regularly:
as

had,

hadder

haddest.

Sadder

found

early

the

Canterbury

IV. Irregular Comparison.

37

Tales

(v.

N.

Eng. Diet.

had).

Shakespeare

uses

only

worse and worst as the comparatives of bad.

In present
a deal

English ladder and

badder,

haddest

are

dialectal

only:

Dickens, Martin

Chuzzlewit,

(quoted by Franz).
212.

A
badder

badder match cannot betide,

it is

TM.

and were

it

not the worst, Lyly Euph. 208. badder chance,

of

Misfortunes

Arthur 331.

So

fine

gloses

amend

the

haddest fancies, Watson, Ded. Ep. 30.

d) Little, Less, Least.

52.

Little,

<COE.

lytel,

shows the comparatives

lesse,

less

[lesser),

lasse

<COE. Ixssa <i*lxsra, ME.

teste,

lasse,

and

the superlatives
lxresi{a).

least,

etc.

<COE.

Ixsta,

more

rarely,

Teut. stems Hais, *lai2.

lesser beside less cf.

For the double comparative

1)

70.

Lesse, lasse: Atte hole lessc or mare, Wright's Chaste

Wife 321.

For

lytull

he etyth and
lesse,
ib. lesse,

lasse drinketh,

G. of

W.

10793.

more and

6300.
ib.

She desireth no

lasse,

Gismond 564, 25. no

as

565, 58.

Lasse appears

late as Elyot,

being with him the

payne, II 316.

normal form:
2)

lasse grutch, I 27. lasse

Less

is

used sometimes for fewer: there was none

of them both that 591, 20.

had

lasse

wounds than XV., Morte D.

And

never fare the worse in his household, nor

[have] the less

faith
3)

men about
less

him. PL.

LV

43. never

truer

preached and
Least
lest,

workes done, Northbrooke 181.

is

used, as now, as adjective or substantive:

29.

at the

Morte D. 342,

mooste and

leeste,

G. of

W.
the

211. in

leste

estimation, Elyot II 438. the least devil,

Four

PP. 377.

the least childe,

to

Gosson
least,

63.

Hee prayde
108.

gods from highest

devil.

the

Watson

the

least

Four PP. 377.

The modern

at least

(dialectal

38
leasttcays)
least
is

IV. Irregular Comparison.

represented

by
154.

at at

leeste,

Ascham Tox.
wayes,
ib.

at at

waies,

Puttenliam

least

194.

the

lest,

Elyot 11 285,

etc.

53. Less

and

least are

used as the counterparts of

periplu-astic

more and most, forming a sort of

to indicate
this

comparison
on.

less

degree,

diminution,

and so

For

no language has terminational or organic compar;

ison

although, except for the frequency of use because of

the

tendency

of the
is

mind

to

magnify rather than

to

decrease, there

no reason there should not be descend-

ing terminational comparison, beside terminational comparison to denote a greater degree, or increase.
Less courage,

Ascham Tox.

25.

both

lesse

charge and

more

pleasure, ib. 121.

And
new

they which had leaste hope

in englyshe, ib. 18.
littler

in latin

haue bene most boulde

54. Cases of the

comparatives

and

littlest,

regularly formed from

little,

were not found.

Shakespeare
in present

uses

littlest

(Franz

71),

and they are common

English.

4,

Twofold Comparison of Late and Out.

a)

Late.

latter

55. Late

<C OE.
Ixtra
latter,

liet,

has the historical comparatives

<< OE.
latosta,
t,

mest(a).

<C OE. For

and

last

beside

Isetc-

with doubling of the

of the

cf 41

t;

and

may be due
utter,

58.

The shortening

OE.

latest to last,

to the

analogy of most,

best,

least,

from OE.

monosyllabic superlatives; or to the assimilation of the

or to both combined.
latter

Comi)are

best

<<

betsta,

46. Beside
later

and

last,

arose in

ME.
the

the

new comparatives
late.

and

latest,

remade

from

positive

Latter

and

IV. Irregular Comparison.

39

later, last

and

latest

were used side by side for a while

without

much

distinction.

Then

the old forms lost some'slow',

thing of the sense of the OE.

resent not 'time' so

Itet,

and came
is

to rep-

much

as 'order'

Latter

used as

the opposite of former, last

of

first,

the words occurring

customarily in these pairs;

the older
out.

but this distinction

is

between

and newer comparatives

is

not

always carried

There

confusion as late as Spenser

and Shake-

speare.

(Gunther,

Edmund
66.)

Spenser's Syntaktische Eigen-

tiimhchkeit.
1)

Franz

Latter: His ?a^^ar deede

Sirs,

is

more
|

to drede,

York

PI.

403, 139.
ib.

with hir haue

if

spoken

Lattar J)anne yee,

defend,

488, 243. which

latter error

it

were so as

God

might
26.

cause a

worse than the

first,

PL.

XXXVI.

In the latter days from the truth of

Three L. 66. your

latter reason, latter age,

God should fall, Bale Heywood Love 166, 168.

^^^len

The
fame

glorie of

your

Norton Gorb. 129.

shall blaze these acts in latter years. Misfortunes of

Arthur 325.

the

latter

of the

twaine,

Watson

99.

yet

they give to the poore neuertheless,

to

and paye

their dutie

the

prince

neuer the

latter,

Northbrooke 125.

your

latter obiection, 2)

Lyly EE. 399.

in the later

Later

and

ende of the prayer he sayeth,

Elyot

359.

what
13.

shall I pass
shall

my

later

dayes in paine,

Gismond 594,

Then

you

leese the
for

rewarde of

your fomier diligence and be dam[p]ned

negUgence, Lever 58. of your later
of the later sort I tliinke thus,
the
first

your

later
I 32.

fight,

Spenser FQ.
77.

Puttenham
later,
\h.

and yet
the two

seemes shorter than the

ib.

85.

later sillables,
3) Last:

87.

at

the laste,
last

Morte D. 328,29.
rest,

at

the

last,

Bl.

and Eg. 80,1.

and longest

Gismond 571,56.

40

IV. Irregular Comparison.

your

last

eudynge, Latimer

S.

20. in the last days, North-

brooke 182.
sort,

of the last kinde,

39.

W. Webbe

90.

this

last

Puttenham

4) Latest: thy latest fine (== last end'),

Common

Con-

ditions 630, 901. rise eriiest

and come
it,

latest

home, Ascham
II 213.
latest
latest

Tox. 27.

the latest

honor due
latest years,

Marlowe Ed.
Faust 96.

the pajTTient of
merrfory,
ib.

my

ib.

my
your

Tamb.
412.

11 52.

Now,

eyes, enjoy

benefit, ib. 73.

So glean the

latest

blossom of
days,

Peele

Ed.

These are thy

ib.

latest

ib.

my life, OWT.

457. with thy latest gasp,

DB. 479.
used in certain stock

56.

The comparative
for the

latter is

phrases
present
utter,

superlative,
latter

a usage which survives in

latter

English:

hour,

days,

etc.

Compare

59.

In aU

my
wont

life,

to this

my

latter

day,

Gismond
|

589, 17,

Thou echo
off that

shrill,

that haunt'st the hollow hills

Leave

to

snatch the
first

latter

word. Misfortunes of

Arthur 317. who was the

latter

inventor and diuisor of this

kinde of dauncing (of three kinds), Northbrooke 146.

in the latter days shall

latter

come

perillous times, ib. 182. the

ib.

end

is

worse with you than the beginning,

183.

Not
hour

for

my

life

do

I desire this

pauSe

But

in

my

latter

to

purge myself, Marlowe The Massacre 233.

Once

later is so

used:

My

later (=last)

houre appro-

aclieth loe,

Gismond
and

557, 44.
last

later
older,

57. Latter

maintained
beside
outer,

themselves

beside

and

latest,

as utter

and

elder beside

because of the development of special meaning, and

because of the difference in the vowel sounds, 40, 60.

IV. Irregular Comparison.

41

b) Out.

58. The forms in OE. were

[ute,

adv. 'oidside] yterra,

tit(e)-

yt(e)mest(a), or, with extension of the positive, uterra,

mest(a).

Tlie

ME.
is

utter arises

from uterra through short-

ening of the vowel owing to the doubhng of the consonant,

41.

Outer

new comparative from

uttrest,

out.

In

the

superlative

occur

utmost,

and

uttermost,

beside

outmost and outermost.

form

*outest is not found.

The

double superlatives
superlatives, seen,

^vith -most spring

from original -min forma,

uncompounded, only

meduma,

hinduma.

Even

in

OE. the -m- forms generally took a

second superlative ending, the more

ymest,
-eme-^t,

common
etc.),

-est.,

giving

or -mest,

(cf

innemest,

utemest,

nidemest-

midmest, fyrmest, beside meduma, forma.,

which,

be

coming

associated

with most, were finally supplanted by

uttermost,
is

the latter.

In the forms

and

outermost,
to

this

double
lives,
1)

superlative

ending -most

added

conipara-

1,68.
vtter

the

Comparatives: in a large oivtter court, Machyn 257.

Superlatives:

room, Puttenham 65

2)

The
frye,

vttrest

Ethiopian

folk

with
utmost

feruent

beams doth

Grimald TM. 105.

20.

gasp, Misfortunes of Arthur 336. our utmost service. Mar.

lowe Tamb.
dart,

15.

vtmost strength,

Nash UT.
to

utmost

Spenser FQ.

VII

25.

batail

the

vttermest,
to

Morte D.

128,22. vttiremeste, York PI.

386,232.

the

uttermoste, Elyot II 290. to the nttermoste,

to the vtiermost.

Latimer

S. 202.

Nature 85, 347. uttermost parts of China,

Hakluyt

57.

uttermost.

Hey wood Wether

117.

237,682.
is

titer-

most bound, Puttenham

uttermost in:
L. 44.
to

most utter

found

for

his

most utter dampnacyon. Bale Three

42

IV. Irregular Comparison.

Lo, here the last and

fortunes of Arthur 310.
side,

outmost work
all

for blades,

Mis-

From

the parts

and outmost
outerest,

Puttenham

113.

Chaucer uses the form

Trans, of Boethius 1470.

59.

Utter

is

used in certain

stock phrases

for the

superlative, or as a

new

positive in the sense of 'complete'

or

'total',

the feeling of connection with out being largely

lost.

Cf. the

use of

latter for

the superlative, 56.

32. vtter

utter undoing,

PL.

CXIX

dampnacyon, Bale
vtter

Three L. 44.
virtue,

vtter destrucyon,

Lever 35.

enimies of
I 28.

Gosson

20. utter ruin,

its

Marlowe Tamb.

60.

Utter retained

place

beside outer, not being

crowded out hke

tives

gretter, depper,

and the other comparaexcept

late,

with

consonant doubling,
out,
utter,

latter.

Tliis

was

because with
in the

as with

latter^

the difference
great, gretter,

vowel sounds was greater than with

deep, depper,

and

because of association Avith cognate words

(Briick, p. 48.)

like utter, utterance, etc.

Further utter had

it

developed special meaning, distinguishing

as latter beside later,
+hat
it

from

outer,

and

elder beside older.

The
of,

feeling

is

a comparative

of out was lost sight

superlatives uttrest
it

which

made

possible the

new

62.

and

uttermost,

formed from

utter as

though

were a

positive.

Compare

nearest from near,

5.

Comparatives formed from adverbial Positives.

61.

few comparatives in OE.

are built from adfierra are the

verbial positives.

Of these nearra and

most

important, and

show

interesting further development.

Of

r
or)

'early',

rra, serest(a), only the adverbs ere {Shak. ore,

and

erst

remain, though in OE. xrra and xresta were

adjectives.

Among

the

-7nost

superlatives,

OE.

innera,

IV. Irregalar Comparison.

43

inneniest,

vferra, yfcmest,

etc.,

formed from the adverbs

68. uterra, uiemesta, 'outer'
ute 'without',
'before',

innCj ufan, etc., are treated in

and

'outmost',

from the adverb

have been
comparative

treated in
fiirpra,

58.

For

fore,

adverb

superlatives fyrsta, forma, fyrmest(a),

a)

cf.

67.

Near.

62.

The

old comparison nigh^ near, next,

OE. neah

[adv. 'near'], nearra, nlchst or plexi, is

succeeded by nigh,

nigher, nighest,

and near

(the original

comparative moved

into the positive), nearer, nearest.

Nigher and nighest are

nigh.

new formations
torically

built

on the

positive
(

Nearer, hisnearest
is

a double comparative

70)^

and

are

formations built upon near as a positive.

in

Nigh

dialectal

present

English,
is

but

in

the sixteenth

century

and

with Shakespeare

yet frequent.

Variants

are late

ME.

nerre, narre, nere, nare,

eic.,

derived from the old

weak comparative OE.

nighest,

nearra^

17.

Nigh and near are also compared

1)

periphrastically.

Nigh,

nigher,

more and most nigh:

nygh

blanchardyn, Bl. and Eg. 33, 18.

is

The

nier

my
34.

comfort

to

me,

Surrey
89.

TM.

24.

nigher

heven,

Spenser Shep.
nigheste

C'al.

YII

the nighest waye,

it

More Utop.

together, ib. 74. they thought

nighest, ib. 94.

more nigh
to

mine

heart,

PL.

CCLXXIX
ib.

31.

that

was most nighe

nyghe,

the sayde Paleys, Bl.

I 5.

and Eg. 112,12. most

Elyot

most nighe,
Isear

51.

2)

as

comparative: Near
represent
All
colloquial

occurs

for

nearer

throughout the sixteenth century, but generally where the

author seeks
to
!

or

dialect
is

speech:

But wellaway
near.

was

in vain,

my
184.

nee'le

never the
for all this

Gammer

Gurton's Needle

and yet

44 great ado,

IV. Irregular Comparison.

cham never
nere:
7.

the near

my

nee'le,

ib.

251.
7ier.

bee
\

of good chere nowe, and I warraunte thee

nil

come

come no

cha not bee haled

to gote

vi^

with

elates,

Respubhca 354,
I

and

lawe with

this

newe commer
52.

shoud be near the

nere,

Misogonus 484,
sheep,

Well,
it

cham

ne'er the near vor

my

chave sought

this

vour mile, Clyomon and Clamydes 518.

Near

is

used as a comparative in Shakespeare,

v.

Franz

and Schmidt.
3)

Nerre, narre

(the old

weak form
PI.

as comparative):

It is

neuere

|)e

nerre,

York

303,321.

nerre

hur can

he

fare,

G. of

W.

4604.

and then Syr Launcelot stode

838, 14.

nerre Syr

Gauwayn, Morte D.
narre,

and

tell

him

wol

come no

York

PI. 47, 62.

The northern form narre appears

as late as Spenser:
|

How
I

be

I
I

am

but rude and

borrell,

Yet nearer ways>

farre,
|

know.

To kerke
nearer,

the narre, from

God more

Has bene an
4) near,

old sayd sawe, Shep. Cal.

nearest,

YH

97.
nere,

more and most near:

York PL 422,
ne^'er,

34. nere, G. of

W.

846.

Ye were

aforetyme

Morte D. 658,19. nearer

times,

iustice,

Norton Gorb. 105.

neerer

Sidney

60

with nearest vertue,

TM.

89.

nearest place, Sackville Gorb. 138. neerest way, Lyly

EE

277;

Googe

121. neerest to prieste.

Bacon

149.

more nere

thy deth, Morte D. 70, 27.

us,

that ye should be

more nere

PL. CLI 116. more nere

io the Inherytaunce, Berner's

Froissart ^Q. most nere the order of the primitiue churche,

Lever 21. yet our auncient chroniclers

neere them,
5)

.... come

most

W. Webbe 45. Double or intensified comparison: W. Webbe

is triply

uses more nearer, which historically

a comparative:

But a more neerer example,

46.

cf.

69.

IV. Trregiilar Compflrieon.

45

63. Nearest

and

next.

The

distinction

is

made, on

the whole, as now, between neareat, the superlative denoting

locality,

and next the superlative denoting time

it

or

sequence; but
between next
English.

is

not always observed, the connection

felt

and near being

more than
next
is

in present

Even with Shakespeare

Franz 65.

sometimes used
occur,

for nearest,

The contrary does not

nearest never being used of time or sequence.

1)

Next ^enoimg time or sequence: at the w^x^

feest

of pentecost,

Morte D.

158, 22.

will

be next of your

counsel, Bale Three L. 35. next vnto the things historicall,

Puttenham

59. next night, ib. 67.

The northern form

this

is

nixt: nixi after

2)

Pan, James

VI

56.

nixt hinmest, ib. 59.

Next denoting locality: and

next chirche

same day haue

clene con-

me

to the

and

fyrst

lete
is

me be

fessed,

Morte D. 611,

10.

Which
36.

the nexte
the chair,

waye

to

amendment, Ascham Tox.

I 22, 13.

nixt

Douglas

64.

Gascoigne coins the curious form nexter (on the

latter.,

analogy of
most.

former),

and the double superlative

is

ne-xt

Neither of these forms

al that

found elsewhere.
|

Yet

day,

they fede in feare

111.

and

in the
|

nexter night,
I

Phil.

His next most note

ib.

(to note)

neede no helpe

at

all,

114.

b)

Far.
are feor,

65. In

OE. the forms

adv.

'far',

fierra,

fierrest.

In
etc.

ME.

they are

fer, ferre, ferrer, farre.,

farrar,
farthest,

ferrest,

The forms

farder,

farther,

fardest,

are not early,

but arose through

confusion with the ad-

verb furpor, and extension

of the vowel of the positive.

of the

Fur^or

is

the comparative

OE.

positive fore,

'be-

46
fore',
it

IV. Irregular Comparison.

superlatives forma
also used

and

fyrmest.

In Middle English

is

as the

comparative of the
;

adverb

fer,

displacing the older fierra

and

this

helped the confusion

is

with the adjective forms.

Furthest

a new superlative

from furpor.

Farther and farthest

are

new forms based

in furdcr,

on the

positive far.

Tlie interchange of th
further, farder, farther,

and d orthographically

etc. is

the result of confusion of

d and

th before r in the sixteenth century,

d^

owing

to the

tendency of ME.
r (er),
feeder,

preceded by a vowel and followed by

th,

to

become

as in father,
etc.

hither,

together,

OE.

hider,

togsedre,

Sweet,
far

History
also

of English

Sounds 931.
periphrastically.
1)

Like

near,

may

be compared

Positives:

ferre, farre, farr, far,

(OE, feorr,

fear):

ferre,

Morte D. 847,

20. ferre

and

nere,

York

PI.

422, 34.

so ferre, Bl.
farre.
cruel,

and Eg.

30, 23. ferre

and

nere, G. of

W.

846.

Lever 37, gone so farre, Lyly EE., 242, farr most

Horestes 573, 110. far, Lyly Euph. 150.
is

Ferre
farre
final

the

normal form

in

the

fifteenth

century,

in the

sixteenth.

The double consonant and

comparative

the

vowel come

from confusion
lost its

with the comparative

force,

after the latter

2)

had

Comparatives:
furr
:

ferre,

farre (OE. feorra,

ME.
it

ferre,

farre), farrar,

his folke sail

no

ferre,

York

PI. 87, 333.

is

as the bright

starr

Seemeth ay greater when

farre,

Spenser Shep. Cal.

Winter's
'32,'63.)

IX

77.

Far then Deucalion

(Folio of 1685;

off,

Shak.

Tale,

IV
(a

423.

farre in 1623,

Franz
72, 2

67.

|)at J)ei

sail

no farrar sprede,
farre).

York

PI.

new comparative made from

gentleman
|

As

am

trwe

Shouldist

near a gone

furr,

Misogonus 431, 17

18.

(Brandl,

659, note on furr,

IV. Irregular Comparigon.

Al

explains

the

form

as

contraction

of fur[th]ir,

and
fiir-

Shakespeare's far, farre, as contractions of far[the]r,

[the]r, instead of as old

weak comparatives.)
by
fcrther,

These fonns are displaced

further,

which

already in the Morte Darthur are the normal comparatives,

end by
3)

farther.
ferrest: ferrest occurs as late as Elyot,
farthest.

Superlative

but

is

normally displaced by the new furthest and

a vice

% QQ:
Elyot
4)

moste

ugly

and

ferrest

from humanitie,

55.

Periphrastic
Shep.
Cal.

Spenser

comparison of far: more farrc, VH 97. a man most farre of from

etc.
:

lamentynge and pytyinge, Lever 21,

is

66. Farther., farthest, further, furthest

The

distinction

made on

the whole as now, between farther, farthest,

and

further, furthest, the former being

;

used generally as

the locality words

in

but exceptions are very common.

67).

So

Shakespeare (Franz
1)

Farther,

farthest,

denoting
the
St.

locality:
Thylee,

the

ferther

syde,

Morte D.

220, 13.

fardest
Gl. 71.

TM.

224.

fardest coasts,

Gascoigne

the fardest pointe,

Ascham

Schol. 46. the fardest part of her domaine, Puttenib.

liam 112. in the fardest part of the Orient,

the farthest ende of
seas,

119.

in

my

memorye, Latimer

S. 133. farthest

Norton Gorb.

125.

The

farthest

coast,

Gosson

38.

farthest Tartary,

Marlowe Tamb.

II 61. farthest

point of

Cathnesse, Lyly EE. 433.

2)

Farther,

farthest,

denoting

time

or

sequence:
ib.

ferther payne,

Heywood Love

164, 118. farther trydl,

164, 98. farther

newes, Bale Three L. 34. his farther end,

Sidney 30. a farther passion, Marlowe Tamb. 20. farther

perticulars,

Nash UT.

83.

48

IV. Irregular Comparison.

3) Further, furthest,

denoting locality: m. ih^ further

a further voyage,
the furdest
for the

partes of hys Realme, Latimer S. 136.

Puttenham

88.

although

he scourge

nighest, Gascoigne Phil. 117. furdest West,

Puttenham

192.

the furthest
continents,

part of

all

his spheare, ib.

11

111.

the furthest

Marlowe Tamb.

66.

fetcht

from furthest

Ynde, Spenser FQ.

4) Further,

3.

furthest,

denoting

time

or

sequence:
Norton
fight,

My
TM.

furdcr meanyng, Gascoigne

32. furder raeanes,

Gorb. 104. further dysquietynge, Lever 35. a further

216. further inconuenience,

Watson
liberty,
4.

85. further

per-

fection,

Lyly Euph. 123. further

Marlowe Tamb.
and furtherance,

45.

no further

use,

Nash UT.

Note.

The substantives from

34, etc.; furderance,

further, furtkerer

occur frequently in the sixteenth century; furtherer, Lyly Euph. 87;

W. Webbe
Euph.
130.

Ascham Tox.

14;

furtheraunce Lyly

6.

Defective Comparison of Former, Foremost.

67.

Former

is

a new comparative

made from

the

OE.

superlative forma beside fyrmest (positive fore, 'before',

comparative supplied by furpra,

formere fader,
16,

Maund.

2.

formere

ME. examples are strengthe, WycUf Judg.

65).

28

(cf.

Matzner's Worterbuch).

Compare the

similar

formation of the double comparative nearer, supra 67.

ME. formest, is modified to foremost 68, -0- already in ME. being due to the influence ME. forme << forma is crowded out of forma and fore.
The
superlative fyrmest,

by

foremost.

It

does

not

appear

after

the

fifteenth

century.

Former and foremost remain

a positive.

in

modem

English without

V. Double and intensified Comparison.

49

1)

Superlative forme: forme

45,14.
v.

ffadres
ib.

(= first

parents).

York PL
examples

forme ffadera,

97,110.

For further

Stratmann,

ME.

Diet.,

Matzner, Worterbuch

178.
2)

Comparative

former:

former
S.

times,

Gismond
life,

559,47. former matter, Latimer

114. former

Lyly

Euph. 100. former beauties,

loving,
ib.

Spenser FQ. 11 38.

'miss,

former

HI

21.

my

former
103.

Greene BB. 176.

example,
Putten-

former

times,

Nash UT.

former

ham
3)

141.

Superlatives
I

forniest, formaste,

etc.:

the
Bl.

formest

prees,

Morte D. 46, 32. he had the

forniest,

and Eg.

162, 12.

am

formaste and fyrste, York PI. 1,4. formest,

12.

Douglas 103,
before

and formest of

all,

Skelton I 388.
all,

farre

the formost,

TM.

128.

formoste of
ib.

Aseliam

Tox. 13. the formooste finger,

109.

Euen

so this byrde

vppon
Phil.

that

name
and
in

Hir foremost note

her foremost
62.

replies,
ib.

Gascoigne,
first

110.

note,

111.

and

foremost,

Nash UT.

V. Double and intensified Comparison.

Double Comparison.

1.

a)

Adjectives with double Superlative Suffix.

68.

An

unportant group of words in OE. show an

-m

suffix in the superlative, Teut. *-uma, IE. -9mo {-m^no,

-mo).

They end generally

-e^t

in -ymest,

-emest,

-mest,

the

normal

being added, except in the words forma and

suffix.
1,

hindema,
suffixes

thus giving a double superlative

These

have already been referred

to,

58,

and the
4

Pound, Comparison of Adjectives.

50

V. Double and intensified Comparison.

later substitution

of -most

for

-mest,

tlirough

confusion

with the
foremost

adverbs

more and most,

beside

noted.

Here
67,

belong

<COE.
midmesf,

fyrmest,

forma,
middle

midmost

<COE..
hindmost

middlemost

(=

-most)

and and

<C OE.

hindema.

Bindermost,

uttermost,

furthermost are cases of the addition of the double superlative suffix to comparatives.

On

the

basis

of uttermost

and furthermost, the double comparatives uttermore and

furthermore are fonned.
1)

The

first

and

last

and the two middlemost, Putten5,

liam 127. middlemost, Ezek.Xhlll

most, Berner's Froissart 20.

Bible of 1551. %>/(7^/is

The Northern fonn

kinmest:
(^liaucer

nixt hinmesf.

James VI

57. hinmcst, ib. 57, 58 etc.

wrote hindercst, CT. 624.

2)

Shakespeare
v.

uses

inmost

(OE. innemcst),
Lexicon.

upmost,
Cliaucer,
overcst,

highmost,

Sclimidt,

Shakespeare

Trans,
V.

of Boethius)

writes overmast.

For ME.
also

Stratmann.

Present

Enghsh has

innermost and

uppermost.
3)

Cases of aftermost (OE.

fvftemest), nethermost, I

Kings

VI

6 (OE. nidemest),

soathmost (OE. sudmest), hithermost,

lowermost, undermost, etidmost, topmost, etc. were not noted

in the texts

examined.

b) Prefixing of

More and

3Iost to terminational

Com-

paratives.

tives
along

69.

Intensification of terminational coni[)aramost,

by prefixing more and

witli
is

appears

in

ME.
It is

the

introduction

of

periphrastic

comparison.

This

tlie

so-called

double comparison*

proper.

common
wry,

throughout the fifteenth and the sixteenth centis

both in prose and verse, and

frequent with Shake-

V. Double and intensifted Comparison.

61

speare, lasting into the eighteenth century in Uterary

Engit

hsh.

In

the

fifteenth

and the sixteenth century,

is

most common with monosyllabic and

but
is

dissyllabic adjectives,

found even with

trisyllabic.

1)

Double comparatives:
ib. ib.

more

fressher,

Morte D.
ib.

283, 20. more reufuUyr,

12.

425, 16. more iveyker,

ib,

447,

more wooder,
ib.

587,13. more gentiUer,

5.

650,30.

more doolfuUer,

846,

more wighter, York

Bl.

PI.

355,201.

more werse and greuouse,

ouser,

and Eg.
ib.

23, 23.

more preci11.

PL.

CLVI
more

121.

more sadder,
ib.

CCLIX

more
higher,
.

greatter,
ib.

Elyot 11 43. tnore larger,

II 272.

more
. .

II 302.

bolder, ib. II 438.

more lowser

moi-e

iveaJcer,

Ascham Tox.
Latimer
78.
S.

121. more flatter, ib. 136. more dili-

genter,

53.

more

redier,
better,

TM.

163. more grauer,

Googe

more

bitter,

more

Lyly Euph. 114. more

24.

stronger, ib.

116. more plesanter,

Lodge

more sounder,

Markham
ib.

64.

more calmer,

Greene AA. 229.

Marlowe,

more
19.

finer,

BB. 170.

more

surer,

Tamb.
a
triple

a more

neerer example,

W. Webbe 46 (=

comparative,

sir

62,

5).

With separation of comparatives: For ther fond

Bors greifer defence in that knyght more than he wende,
22.

Morte D. 675, 21,

2)

Double superlatives:
most

most worshipfullest,
ib.
ib.

Morte

D.
ib.
ib.

57,11.
394, 29.

shamefidlest

74,37.
413, 32.

moost

curteyst,

most meschynoust,
ib.

most mightyest,

438, 34. moost vntruest,

635, 33. most nexte, Bl. and

I 4.

Eg. 132, 32.

most lowest,

Elyot

most sharpest

tvitted

and excellent
most greatest,
fittest,

lerned, ib. I 59. most noblest, PL.

CVIH

84.

ib.

CLVI

121. most unlikest.

Four PP. 369. moost

edst,

Ascham Tox. 45. most wlest. Lodge 56. most learnW. Webbe 18. most obscurest, ib. 54. most noblest,
4

52

V.

Double and intensified Comparison.

ciiiilest,

Lyly Eupli. 127. most

ib.

247.

most
66.

finest,

Chap-

man. BB.

16.

most

cruellest,

Nash UT.

nixt hinmest,

James VI
persone
is

59.
is

Note. An unusual case

more harde
stedfast to
to

the following: In the wore that

J)e

be conuertysed and tourned to his lawe,

the more ought she afterward

constant

when she

is

ouercome, to be more
78,

&

kepe

hit. (Bl.

and Eg.

225).

This looks

like the prefixing

of more to periphrastic comparison instead of to

terminational,

ie.,

the more more hard

the more more constant,

instead

of,

the more harder^

....

the more constanter.

The

Mriter

used the more

....

the more, as correlatives,

then in his wish to

intensify placed the adjectives in the comparative.

c)

Double terminational Comparison of Worse and

70.

Less.

The two

irregular comparatives worse (OE. tviersa

<C*Hie>-s>-a,

ME.

wurse, worse)

and

less

(OE. Ixssa <Clsra,

ME.

lesse,

lasse)

are occasionally enlarged

by the termin-

ational -or in the sixteenth century, the double comparatives

worser and lesser appearing beside worse and

to their final -5,

less.

Owing

worse

and

less

are enlarged only to double

-est.

comparatives, never taking the superlative suffix

the extension of the comparative near to nearer

Cf.

and

nearest,

62.
worse,

Of
less,

the

ME,

monosyllabic comparatives near, far,

more,

only more
to its

has never been analogically

enlarged,
to

owing

extremely frequent use as well as

euphonic reasons.

Worse and
as adverbs.
1)

less

are enlarged

only as adjectives,

not

Worsen
can
I

beare

the
|

worser

wyl,

Googe
state,

56.
it

No
the

tliyng

worser

be
of

Than womens
degre,
ib.

is

worst,
ivorser

thynke
ib. 63.

eche

60.

way,

from worser parts

ivorser plight,

refin'd,

To walk a Markham 86.

66.

In harder
tvorser

case and

Watson

made

it

by a second proposition, Puttenham 225. But

better

V. Double aod intensified Comparison,

53

here than in a ivorser place,

Heywood

23.

Lest
143.

that

worser mischief doth befal,

Greene LG.
ib.

In
319.

show
Unto

seems

ivorser

than the

basest weed,

MP.
I

this sin

a worser doth succeed, Peele Ed.

is

412.
64).
It

Worser

used by Shakespeare (Franz

occurs,

but not very commonly, in

dialectal:

modem

English,

literary

and

nor worser
18.

nor

better,

William Morris,

House
by

of the Wolfings
Franz).
2) Lesser: lesHe

worser guess, Dickens (cited

The

greater

payn, the

lesse

defence:
lesser

The
The
lyfe,

defence,
57.

the lesser
lesse in

gayn,

TM.

132.
lesser

disdain,
|

Wyatt
lesser
lesse

The

mynde, the
fynd
]

pain,

payne,
hurts

lesse grj'efe I

... The happyer

hurts,

annoy e,

The

lesser

pleasure

most

ryfe,
is

Googe

96. the greater

my

authorities are, the lesser

is

thy

beliefe,

Lyly Euph. 167. the ayre

more temperthough
The,

ate

and the colde

lesser,

ib.

EE. 247.

bearing lesser brain,

lesser

Clyomon and Clamydes 491.

James VI

creeping
119.

with his
In ifsser

head into the greaters mouth,

grief,

Puttenham

41. lesser

\tii\\g&,

Spenser FQ.

VI

37. in lesser things,

ib.

Kyd

Sp. Trag.
lights,

129.
ib.

lesser waters, ib. lesser liberty,

169.

lesser

Vn

30. lesser grace,

Greene BB. 167.

lesser

brooks, Dray-

ton Poly. (1622).

Lesser continues in good usage beside
frequently
in
less

and

is

found
lights.

modern

literary

English:

the lesser
6.

Gen. 1

16. the lesser

man, Tennyson Locksley Hall

Basker\'ille).

much
and

lesser degree,

M. Arnold (quoted by

lesser

newer kindreds, William Morris House of the Wolfings.

71. Cases

of

the

double terminational comlike the

parison of other adjectives,

nicerer, bestest,

modern

dialectal

7,

were not found.

54

V. Double and intensified Conaparieon.

2.

Intensified Comparison.

adjectives may be strengthened by the presence of adverbs and adveibial expressions: eg. much, far, still, a great

72.

The comparison

of

deal, etc.

This occm*s frequently with comparatives, rarely

with superlatives.
1)

Comparative intensified:
much:
moche gretter
diligent, ib, 11

a)

in

numbre,

Elyot

11

292.

moche more

425.

So moche

truhje the sorer,

Ascham Tox.
great

60.

much

greater mischiefes,

b) far: farre worsse,

. .

Latimer

S. 88.

Markham 51. To make his name

all

farre more than can be done by any of

these

great troubles
fidl,
c)

and warres, Hakluyt

25.

farre more wonder

ib.

Lever 37. a farre more covetousness,

Still:

be you more righteous

still

....

be you more

holy

still,

Northbrooke 80.
great deal: a grete dele better,

d)

Ascham
ib.

Tox.

26.

a great
2)

dele more, ib.

a gret dele sorer,

29.

Superlative

intensified:

the

farr

most cruel

kind of death that ever was, Horestes 573, 102.

73.

Double comparatives
shorter way,

can

be

further

intensified by the presence of adverbs.

much more
in goods,

Hakluyt 48. far more richer

Lyly Euph. 150.

ib.

how much more

alter-,

art

thou duller

then a stone,

162.

{<C
I

74. In the

fifteenth century
d being

alther-,

alder-,

OE.
;)

ealra, the th or
is

transition

sounds between

and

frequently prefixed to the superlative, as in the

alperworste,
alpcrfairest,
alperfirst

Chaucerian
Boethius).

(Trans, of

This usage
rarely.

survives in the sixteenth century,

but

is

found

With Shakespeare (Franz

is

71)

it

occurs but once, and

plainly an archaism.

V. Double and intensitied Com])ari8on.

55

J)Oii

makist her herte

PI.

full

sare
J

|)at

loves

{)e

dither
althir

best,

York
ib.

110,253. and to

al

mankynde nowe

mast,

110, 270. altherlast^ Douglas V. 251, 21. aldermost

lord,

high and dread sovereign

most to
liis

PL.

XXVI
103.

17.

not

dldi.r-

pleasure,

ib.

CXXXIII
141.

aldermost

meet

and

profitable, ib.

CLXXXIX
Watson

Thou Spencer
MP.
304.

art the

aldcrliefest swaine,

173.

Greene uses the tauto-

logical, the alderliefest

swaine of
is

all,

75.

The superlative

occasionally prefixed
have, Greene

to the positive in order to intensify.

Is stveetcst street that

men can
Ed.

MP.

286.
great

my

dearest

dear,

Peele
55.

I 380.

My

greatest

Triumuerie,
76.

Markham

Intensifying combination
the related noun:

of

words of

equal root or meaning appears

1)

in the following:
highest height,

Superlative

-f-

Nash UT.
pleasures,
2)

69. highest height,

Markham

58.

most pleasant

Utopian Poetry 167.

Superlative

plural of the positive:

all fair,

Upon

the sun, the fairest of

3)

Greene MP. 297.

-f

Tautological superlative
last endtjnge,

noun superlative
S.

in

meaning:

Latimer

20. first founder,

first beginners,

Puttenham

59. first leginner, Bale

KJ. 31.

W. Webbe 68. Fyrste brynger in to the world of shootynge, Ascham Tox. 51. first inuentor, Northbrooke 117. to intensify: (hyperbolical) 4) Other efforts farre before the formost, TM. 128. more hard then hardest
flint,

Watson

99.

more

beastly

than Beasts, Sidney Ap. 35.

Brighter than the brightest glass, Greene

MP.
flew

305.

more
351.

meke than
then

is

the

mekest doue, Ancient

Jteight

Ballads
tniich

(= than) highest higher, Markham 58.

of

Fame

more

56

V.

Double and intensified Coniparieon.

77. Many adjectives, the meaniug of which is already superlative, are frequently intensified by comparison.
chiefest
1)

So oftenest with

chief (originally a substantive),

being used to excess in sixteenth century English.

of chief:
chiefest

Terminational comparison
cheyffest of the crafts,

ioy,

Gismond

584, 109. chefest paine, ib. 554, 26. the alder-

man and

Machyn

42. chiefest Joye,

Norton Gorb.
cheifest point,

98.

chiefest

guest,
99.

Kyd. Sp. Trag.

pleasure.
chyefest

150.

Ascham Tox.
chiefest

chiefeste

More
place,

Utop.

114.

remedy,

TM.
Watson

184. 121.

Googe

84. chiefest substance,

Note. Chiefer a.nA chiefest are used sometimes in place of more and most in comparison: in the chiefest flourishing kingdoms, Nash UT. 76.

Terminational comparison of other adjectives: perfecter, Ascham Tox. 20. perftter, ib. 21. perfec2)
iest,

Gosson
17;

58. extr earnest,

Watson

175. extremest, Spenser

FQ. IX
yest,

Kyd

Sp. Trag. 170;

33.
veriest,
ib.

Greene
164;

J.

IV

206.

ver-

Nash UT.

Udall

RD. 44;
43. choicest

Clyomon and Clamydes

Schol. 128. etc.
3)

497. dininest,

Markham

(originally a substantive),

Greene BB. 159.

choisest,

Ascham

Periphrastic comparison: more

most
especially ib.

perfect,

Latimer

S. 20.

184. moste mortall, Elyot IT 119

most principall,

More Utop.

115.

most mortal,
39.

Greene
dinine,

AA.

244.

most vniversal,

Puttenham

most

Sidney 50.

VI. Elative

Use of the Comparative and

Superlative.

57

VI. Elative (absolute) Use of the

Com-

parative and Superlative.

78. The elative or absolute construction of

the comparative

and superlative

is

used

to indicate

a quality in a person or thing or idea in an especially high

degree, without definite comparison with other persons or

things or ideas.

In English the construction

fortissimus,
'a

is

a Latisenecttis

nism,

cf.

vir

very brave man',

talkative'.

est loquacior,

'old

age

is

somewhat

With regard
of

to

form, absolute superlatives are generally distinguished

genuine
superlatives

from

by

the

absence
is

the

definite, or the presence of the indefinite article.

With genuine
omitted, 89.

superlatives the definite article

not often

79.

The

elative use is

most common with

early.

periIt is

phrastic superlatives, and appears very

likely

that

some of the

earhest

most superlatives were

is

of this nature.

The

construction

common

in

Caxton

and

in the Paston Letters,

and

in the

York Plays almost

elatives.

no periphrastic superlatives occur which are not

Early in the sixteenth
century
the
elative

was a very
is

frequent literary use of the superlative.

Bale's plays, in
in

This

seen

in

Roy and Barlowe, and

in Elyot, for

example,

which

elatives are notably

-est.

abundant, and numerically

exceed the superlatives in

Thus Elyot uses about 160

20

most superlatives, 124 being elatives, and 20 superlatives

-est;

Bale's

Kynge Johan

contains

elatives,

and

scarcely

any genuine most or

-est

superlatives. In Ascham's
elat-

Toxophilus are about 97 most superlatives, 68 being

ives,

and about 18

in -est.

Since

the sixteenth century.

58

VI.

Elative

Use of the Comparative and

elative superlatives

Superlative.

the part played

less importact.
ful,

by

has been somewhat

tvonder-

For the sixteenth century most

writer generally
prefers

the

modem

very wondei-ful,

exceedingly wonderful^ or similarly.

It

may be added

that the

elative construction is not

often treated in English

grammars. Goold Brown, Grammar

after a

of English the

Grammars, 1882,

few observations on

intensive* use of the superlative, adds the interesting

is

remark, This use of the terms of comparison

thought

by some not

to

be very grammatical*.

80. A comparison of the history of the elative construction in French and in English is interesting.
In French, the weakening of the Latin termithe circumnational superlatives into elatives developed
locution
or periphrasis, the
definite
article

and

plus^

to

indicate the superlative degree.

In English the elative use

appeared later and secondarily, and helped to estabUsh

circumlocutory or periphrastic superlatives,
alongside
of

but not replacing terminational superlatives

Elative Superlatives.
is

1.

titles,

81.
in

The elative superlative

phrases
of compliment,
in

common

before
in

direct

address,

exclamations, and simply to give emphasis.

Her most

noble

goode grace,
PI.

Bl.

and Eg.

2, 14.

moost

semely in sight,

York

445, 398.

o most dolorose day,

Digby Mysteries 173,

56.

My

most reverend master,

ib.

PL.
this

XLVni
Elyot
I

35.

your most noble presence,

S. I 1
.

LVI

44.

most pestilent mischief, Four

mooste valiant capitayne,

51. in the most

107. most noble Cesar,

ib.

ib. II

pare

firmament,

11

194.

thy most bounieouse mercye. Bale

noble kyng,

Three L. 46,

our most

Latimer

S.

19.

most

VI. Elative

Use of the Comparative and

Superlative.

59

gracious reuerente Lordes, Lever 97. alway most cold, Surrey

TM.
RD.

38.

hir

highiiesse

most tvorthy

counsellers,

Udall
214,

86.

our father most aimcyent,

unhoncst dealings,

Hey wood Wether

him
E.
in

37. most

Dee

7.

a most ivicked deed, a most

Damon and
lust cause,

Pithias 218. most vnnatiiral to

102.

Lyly Euph.

a most

excellent

wryter,

W.
15.

Webbe

30.

your most
I,

excellent

Maiestie,

Webbe

most tvrefchrd
most passinif
face, Sidney,

borne in some dismall daie, Watson 204.

strange,

Kyd

Sp.

Trag. 148. a most sweet

Ap. 30.

superlative
82.

The

elative
is

use of the
It

terminational
century, being

less

frequent.

appears characteristi-

cally in the second half of the

sixteenth
and

scarcely

known
It is

in the fifteenth

early in the sixteenth

century.

a use belonging to poetrj- and the literary

language, not to the language of daily intercourse.

greatest Gloriana,

Spenser FQ.

1 3.

For
30.

fairest

Una's

sake, ib. Ill 2. the fairest

Una,

ib.

VI

through highest
39.

heaven,

ib.

IV

9.

Ah, dearest

lord,

ib.

VI
ib.

O
23.

light-

some day, the lampe of

hyest

highest

Jove,
60.

VII

from

hap

to depest

myserye^

Googe

depcst sorrowes,

Sackville Gorb. 140. a crimson robe of brightest dye, Peele

MP.

287.

2.

Elative Comparatives.
of

in

83.

The elative use

comparatives
I,

is

most

common
rare.
It

with Spenser (Kitchin, FQ.

2).

Notes).

It

occurs

Shakespeare (Franz 62,

is

Instances

elsewhere are

found only with terminational comparaelative

tives,
lative,

and never gained the hold of the

terminational or periphrastic.
the

super-

Hence

it is,

partly, that

even in texts in which

most

superlatives far

out-

60

VII.

The Substantivation of Comparatives and

-est superlatives,

Superlatives.

number the
generally

the terminational comparatives

outnumber

those

with

more.

In

Ascham's

Toxopliilus are about 11 comparatives with more and 58

in -er; beside 97 superlatives in most

and 18

in

-est.

In
-est

the Utopia, beside 48 superlatives in tnost and 38 in

are 12 comparatives with more

and 38

in -er.

Elyot,

on

the other hand, corresponding to his 160 superlatives with

most and 20 in

-est,

uses about 66 comparatives

-er.
is

with

more and about 40

in

Elative use of the comparative

use.

distinctly

a literary

Cases were not noted outside of verse.

thou,

Helpe
weaker

o holy Virgin,

chiefe

of nine,

Tliy

(=

too weak) no^'ice to performe thy will, Spenser

FQ.
to

Introd. 2. his looser

make,

ib.

VII
30.

7.

and

strove for
affection

amaze

the

weaker sights,
ib.

VII

Entire

hateth nicer hands,

VIII 40.

Abandon then

the base

and

viler

clowne,

ib.

Shep. Cal.

X 37.

This their admission

breeds a greater doubt,

Kyd

Sp. Trag. 80.

Other possible
grief,

cases are:

Are forced

for

my

greater

from

me

their face to hide, Surrey 101. in temperate

breathing of the milder heaven, Norton Gorb. 115.

the climate
of the

Under
and

milder

heaven,

Peele

LG. 369.
I

made me

leave

my

princely

pleasant
ib.

seats
I.

To come
All

into his ruder

part of Wales,

Ed.

391.

these

may

be explained otherwise, however.

VII.

The Substantivation
tives
84.

of Compara-

and Superlatives.

Old English shows no less freedom in the substantivation of the comparative and the

VII.

The Substantivation of ComparativcH and

Superlatives.

61

superlative than
substantive

in the substantivation of the positive,

to

the addition of nouns Uke one, man, thing,

denote the
intiection

use

being

unnecessary,

and the

remaining the same.

wulf:
Nsefre ic

Compare
gesrah
|

these examples from Beocorla ofcr

mar an

cordan,

247.

no pxt Ixsest wxs hondgemota,

gcseah
\

ib.

2354. pxt he on eordan

pone leofestan
\

lifes

set

ende,

28234.
remains

Hiefde sc
cenoste

goda
I

Geata leoda
mihte,

cempan gecoronc. para Pc he

This freedom
loss

findan

207.

in

early

Middle English.
singular

With the

of endings,

making

and plural the same, limitation sets in and

is

a substantive
ike

more
hest

often

joined.

Constructions
substituted
for

like

best

man,

the

tvarrior,

are

the

older se bctsta, in
alone,

which the substantivated adjective stands

in

or betst
is

beadurinca,

which the substantivated

In the singu-

adjective
lar,

followed by a partitive genitive.

substantives like one, man, woman, thing, begin to be

iviser,

added, substantivated comparatives such as the

greater, etc.

the
also

remaining
first

common

in the plural.

Here

appear for the

tree

time cases like Malory's:

the fayrest

and

the

most

delectable,

Morte D. 696,

32.

The good5,

lyest
tlie

yong man and

of the

the fairest, ib. 213,

24

in

which
half

function

adjective

is

half adjective and

substantive.

In the sixteenth century, the substantivated comparatives

and

superlatives, terminational
all

and

periphrastic, are

found in

constructions, are used as subject, object, in

the predicate,

and

in apposition

They may be used

as
dearest,

also

in the vocative

and

in exclamations,

fairest,

most wretched,
literature
till

etc.;

but examples scarcely occur in the

the end of the sixteenth centuiy.

of the

For

sketch

development

of adjective

sub-

62

VII.

The Substantivation of Comparatives and

Superlatives,

stantivation, especially the construction with one, v. Gerber,

Die Substantivierung des Adjectivs im

hundert; Diss. Franz

XV. und XVI.

Jahr-

73 83.

Kellner, Historical Outlines

of English Syntax 226.

Einenkel 2429.

1.

Singular.

85. Comparatives and superlatives may be used as substantives in the singular. They may
refer to persons, to things, or to abstractions.
1)

Comparatives: For
{)e

better

outher for worse, Morte

D. 807, 26. he |)Oght

worse went

on hys

side,

G. of
part)
ib.

W.

11073.

Though

it

cost

me

the more
is

(=
60.

the

more

of my good, PL. LXX 53. CCLXXn. I am the elder,

these two,

the elder

just wedded,

Latimer
lesser

S.

the leefer

of

Wyatt

109.

The

creeping with his head

into the greaters mouth, Puttenham 119.

2)
best,

Superlatives: Where
thine

remain thine own most

most just, Surrey 78.

own

most true, thine

own
best

But wealeaway niine own most

worthiest for to love,

....

Is

even the

TM.

234.

Neither the flatterer could

in his talke, nor ye wisest

take aduantage to entrap

him
the

any assurance of
were
eldest
it

his friendship,
is

Lyly Euph. 35.

ib.

And
The
the
at

badder,

it

not

ivorst,

EE, 208.
I

dying

without issue,
Sp. Trag. 21.

ib.

451.

Now

am

lowest,
3)

Kyd

Referring to a preceding noun,

:

(cf.

supra and

88)

Kynge Arthurs

foole that

is

the best felawe

2.

and the
berafte

meryest in the world, Morte D.

432,

Ye haue
excellent

me

of the fayrest fellawship

and the

truest of

knyghthode
example

that ever

were sene,

ib.

621,2.
103.

An

and a

ivorse,

Ascham Tox.

Either in forgetting a
ib.

worde or

in

chaunging a good with a worse,

Schol. 26.

.^M

VII.

The Sabstantivation of Comparatives and

Superlatives.

63

4)

Substantive
116.

use

of the
of

comparatives of
all

participles:

I the best-beloued

the rest, Grimald

TM.

2.

Plural.

86.

Comparatives and superlatives may be

-s

used as substantives in theplural, with and without -5.

The forms with
carried

are

real

substantives,

the -s

being

over

analogically

from
-s is

noun

plurals.

Except

yangers, the cases in

in

which

added agree with those

modern EngUsh,

They

are restricted to terminational

forms, and to comparatives.

1)

Without

-s:

Callybm-ne,
9,

one of the sirengest of

pauye,
goodlypst

Morte D. 170,

lettres

and ballads of the moost

ib.

that were vsed in tho dayes,

|

363, 25.

Yet

are thou not of soche poet,

contre, G. of

But there be
eldest

better in thys

W.
6.

796.
II 438.

He

chose the

and
all

loisest

of

them

all,

Elyot

Tlie wisest

had not

that

same

opinion,

Lodge

Of

the best

and most

frequented, I wyll
ib. 28.

rehearse some,
2)

W. Webbe 58. The chiefest were these,

I

With

-s:

owe hym none homage, ne none of myn

74, 35.

elders,

Morte D.
ib.

a ryche

abbey of your

elders

foundacyon,
elthers

135, 15.

the which

was done by your

wroth alway, PL.
elders

deuyse,

ib.

807,

4.

your

elders

LXIV.

that the sage grauitie

and reuerence^ of the

licence

should kepe the yongers from wanton

of wordes
betters,

and behauioure. More Utop.

Respublica 328, 96.
equals,

94.

crow against your

flattering their betters,

enuyng

their

despising their inferiours,

to thy superiours,

Ascham
to

Schol. 33.
equalls,
to.

Bee
thy

humble

gentle

thy

inferiours fauorable, enuie not thy betters,

Lyly Euph. 430.

our egalls and inferiours, Puttenham 228.

64

VIII.

Some

syntactical Peculiarities.

In the following (noted by Kellner, Introd. to Blanch-

ardyn and Eglantine) the use of the form without

the

-s for

more usual

-s

plural
age,

is

striking:

He

passed them that

Original,
les

were his

elder in

Bl.

and Eg. 13,21.

plus sagies de soy.

3.

Substantivation through following Nouns.

87. Examples of the substantivation of comparative and superlative as personal substantives

through
positive.

one are not frequent, even in the last half of

the sixteenth century,

when
but

it

was very common with the and sixteenth

of tribes and
474.

Dr. Gerber, investigating fifteenth

finds

century English,
elders

one example:
Peele,

and the

mightiest ones,

DB.

Nor
thing,

are
to

examples

of the

substantivation through

denote the neuter idea, very

all,

common:

the truest thing of

TM.

23. a faythfull frende is thing most worth, ib. 185. the wisest, v.

For the construction one

93.

VIII.

Some
1.

syntactical Peculiarities.

Post-Position of Comparative.
order exemphfied

i
virtue most

88.

The

by Ascham's a

noble, in

which the attributive comparative follows

is

instead of precedes the noun,

fifteenth

common
only

in both the

and the sixteenth century,

sixteenth.
It
is

especially in the latter

half

of the

found

with

the peri-

phrastic

forms,

more commonly with

For cases

superlatives
elatives

than
than

with comparatives, and more

with genuine superlatives.

commonly with

like the fayrest tree

VIII.

Some

syntactical Peculiarities.

65

and

the most delectable,

Morte D. 696,

32,

where the

first

adjective precedes,
as adjective,

and the second

follows,

serving half

half as noun, v.

84. 85, 3.

In

modem
Morte
moste

English this post-position of the comparative

is less

common.

stroke

most dolorous that ever

royall,

man

stroke,

D. 84,31. renke moste

wise, ib. 397,31.

York

PI.

307,10.

man

Who
Crym

saw ever a

spectacle more pitevs,

Digby
ib.

Mysteries

182, 322

23.
also

myracles
ib.

most gloriose,

185, 415. {)e8

most vngraciose,

193, 649. a vice

most

ugly

and

ferrest

from humanitie,

Elyot

55.

an

exercise

most

holsome,
38.

and

a pastime most

honest,

Ascham Tox.
most perelesse,
ib,

a thinge m^st
27.

profitable, ib. 79. a Prince

More Utop.

an

ofifence

most detestable,

130.

a thyng most plesaunt and honorable. Lever 59.

detest-

a thing most dishonest, Lyly Euph. 102. a vice most

able,
ib.

146. a thing most strange, ib.

End.

37,

2.

Omission of definite
definite article
verse,
is

Article.

89.

The
in

sometimes omitted,
tenninational

especially

before

the

attributive

superlative,

less often

before the periphrastic superlative.

in

Compare
Nacht,
etc.

similar

constructions
article
is

German,

in

tiefster

The

frequently omitted

when

the

adjective

is

in the predicate,

and

after the first adjective,

when
1)

there are two or

more

in succession.

With terminational superlative:

is

whom

to

serve

grettest liberte,

Caxton B. of
daye
11.
:
|

C.

11,98.

In longest

night, or in the shortest

In clearest skye, or
credit,
St.

when
more

clovfdes thickest he;

TM.
flint,

winne ^/-eaies^

Gosson 58.

doth comfort saddest wights, Gascoigne

Gl. 49.

hard than hardest

to darkest

Watson

99.

as

brightest

noone
load,
5

night,

Puttenham 242.

lays

on

slowest

Pound, Comparison of Adjectives.

66

Vni. Some syntactical

I

Peculiarities.

Peele Ed.

396. -wdth greatest pleasure,

Kyd

Sp. Trag. 49.

upon
2)

extremest height, ib. 61.

With periphrastic superlative: a stroke most dolorous that ever man stroke, Morte D. 84, 31. Doest finde me here, most wofull wretch that Ufe hath in despight,
Surrey

TM.

17.

Yea,
all,

that to his soules

perile

is

most

haynous harme of
3)
<fc
I

TM.

252.
|)e

In the predicate: Ye be

rewlar of

|)is

regyon

nwst worthy sovereyn of nobylnes, Digby Mysteries 60,

169.

When
93.

they be sweetest
is

and most

solenme,

Putten-

ham
4)

A^Hiatsover

most worthy to be learned, Sidney

Ap. 45.

With several superlatives

59. the most auncient

in

succession:

the most puissant

and passionate and most

generally Putten-

ham

and of most

fatherly antiquitie,

Sidney Ap. 50.

3.

Unusual Word Order.

case of inverted

in

90. In addition to the

order cited
in

88,

a few of minor importance

is

may

be noted,

which the adverb more

or in

separated from

the adjective,
is

which the position of the comparative phrase

unusual. Such inversions occur generally in verse.

soft,

What TM.

harder
228.

is

then

stone,

what more than water

|

and more than snow therefore

shall

be white, Wyatt 220.

Incke and Paper cannot bee to a

more

profitable purpose employed, Sidney Ap. 51.

4.

The Superlative with of

all other.
is

91.

construction

not found in present usage

the
It

exemplified
of
ail other

by Webbe's
most worthy.

best of all other,

or Elyot's

appears in ME., and remains

VIII.

Some

syntactical Peculiarities.

67

common
being
Logically

through the fifteenth and the sixteenth century,

frequent
of other

especially

with

Elyot

and Puttenham.
is

the

use

with the superlative

not

legitimate.

other

seem combined, being introduced from the second by conconstructions

Two

tamination.
mxst,

The normal
by the

constructions
partitive of
etc.
all,

are:
cf.

(1)

Tlie
ealra

superlative intensified

OE.

ME.
all,

aldermest,

alderliefest,

74,

whence the
all,

modern construction of the

est

type, worthiest of

or short-

of

beside occasional worthiest of any;

as

or,

the sam.e of
all

with the plural of the noun supplied,

icorthiest

men, shortest

of

all

ways.

(2)

The

preferable construction
all,

with the

comparative,
worthier

as worthier than

or,

with

fre-

quent

other,

than

all

others;

or,

the

same wath
all

the plural

of the

noun
all

supplied,

ivorthier than

other

men, shorter than

other
(2)

ways.
into

Other
(1),

seems
it

to

have
not

been carried over

from

where

did

belong historically, and does not belong

phrases like shortest of
of
all,

logically,

giving
shortest

all

other beside the

normal

or shorter than

all others.

is

92. In the majority of examples,

others, the

the singular other

found instead of
6 below), being

noun, sometimes supplied

(v.

understood.

Other variations occur

all,

through the substitution of any for

the
rest for other.

among

for

of,

and

The construction needs

the
collection

further invest-

igation,

especially

and

examination

of

examples from the period before 1400.

1)

Superlative
all

-\-

of all other:

Sir

Trystram was
13.

most preysed of
fayrest

other,
ib.

Morte D. 316,
I
Bl.
(i.

Tou
39,9.

art

of

all

other,

435, 26.
other,

ensure

yow ye

shal

be

tlie

happiest of alle
of
all

and Eg.
of

and

fairest

other

be sights,

W.

Gains MS. 11,

68

VIII.

Some

syntactical Pef^uliaiities,

161

62.
I

liovve

moste

unhappy

ain I of
is

all

other,

Elyot

180. the lorde that of ul other

all

highest, ib. II 3.
126. of all other
ib.

a thinge of

other moste

difficile,

ib.

most worthy
moste
criiell

to siiffre

moste shamefuU dethe,

ail

138. the
ib.

and paynefull dethe of

other,

148.

who

trusted
fit

them moste of
agreable,
all

all

other, ib. 245.

Of

al

other

moste

and

Ascham Tox.
all

38. a thinge

moste
ib.

necessary of

other, ib.

63. sonest of al other,

other,

68.

incomparably the best of

W. Webbe
ib.

45. of all

other next the diuine most honorable and worthy, Putten-

ham
2)

54.

Of

all

other the most vaine,

all

291.

Of

all others: of

others the most an'ogant

and

iniurious,

Puttenham

21. the

most excellent imitators and

counterfaitors of all others, ib.

3)
all

Am 071 g

all

other: a most dissolute wryter among

other,
4)

W. Webbe 44. Of any other(s): most

and most
forme of Poesie most
the rest:

lyke

of

any

other,

Elyot

II

404. the best

130. a

delicat

of any other. Putten-

ham
rest,

wittie of

any

others, ib. 60.

5)

Of
is

(all)

The
rest

most famous verse of the

71.

called

Hexametrum, W. Webbe
all

The

Piller is

a figure

among
all

the

of

the

Geometricall

most

l)eawtifull,
6)

Puttenham
other
is

110.
-\-

Of

plural of the noun:

fierce

of

all

Dthcr
II

Ijestis

accounted moste

and
all

cruell,

Elyot
wayes.

169.

the most easie

25.
l()\e
is

and shortest of
all

other

Hakluyt
most
7)

of

other

humane

affections the

puissant, Piittcidiaiu 59.

Similar mixed constructions, without other:

art

Who
ham

the highest
Po'etrie
is

God
of

of any heauenly Roy, Putten-J

95.

all

humane

learning

th^

mostj

auncieiit

and of most fatherly

antiquitie,

Sidney 48.

VIII.

Some

syntactical Peculiarities.

69

In

Mociem English:

his

versification

is

by

far the

most perfect of any Enghsh poet,

Century Literature 2G8.
5.

Saintsbury, Nineteenth

The appositive Superlative with

The
construction

one.

93.

exeniphfied by one the truest

I 3, 37,
is

hnyght aJiue,

Faerie Queene

frequent in

ME.,

especially in Chaucer,

and occurs as

late as

Shakespeare.
in Einenkel,
76,

Examples from the former may be found

p.

89.

fif.,

Kellner,
latter

Outhnes of Enghsh Syntax,

Abbott
in
16,

and

from the

in

Franz

80.

Instances

are not very

common

the fifteenth and

the sixteenth

century, the partitive instead of the appositive construction

being normal.
the ivorld,

Cf. one of the

;

most

rcnouned hiygldes of
of

Morte D. 282. 27
32

one of the heste Kmjghtes

:

the world, ib. 733,

the

beside

Syre Lahiorak the nioost

792, 3 (see p. 71).

noblest Jcvyghte one that ever was, ib.

The

partitive

is

normal

construction

even

with

Chaucer.
is

Sometunes the two constructions

from one into the
illogical

cross,

and of

carried over

other.

Thus

are explained

the peculiar
lyve,

and

on of the

best

farynge

man

on
the

Chaucer,

The Frankelynes Tale

204.

One of

best enteched creature, Id.

Troylus and Crysede 832 (Kell-

ner,

176; so Gerber; Einenkel, 891.)

94. Attention

has

been called

very

often

to

this

construction,
Cf. C.

and various explanations have been

offered.
after

Stoffel,

The Quasi-Appositional
fi".,

Superlative

*One',

Englische Studien 27, 253

for
is

a discussion of
In

the question.

Mr. StofFel believes

it

a Latinism.

Madvig's Latin

Grammar ....
to strengthen the
1
:

find

'Unus

or

tmus

omnium

is

used

excluding force of the

superlative, e.g. Cicero, Lael.

P.

Scaevolam unum nostrae

70

VIII.

Some

syntactical Peculiarities.

civitatis
clicere;

et

ingeiiio

et

iustitia

praestantissimum

audeo

Corn. Nepos, Milt.

gloria

1: Miltiades et

an tiquitate genfiorebat'.

eris et

maiorum unus omnium

maxime
est

Cf.

also: Cicero, Brutus:

It will

Eloqiientia res una

omnium
exactly

difficillima.

hardly be denied that the Latin conis

struction exemplified in the passage just quoted,

analogous to the Middle and Tudor English phrase.

95.

Professor Skeat (Chaucer's

Works

II 470),

Kit-

chin (Faery Queen,

speare Lexicon
one
the
truest

Book

178),

and A. Schmidt (Shakee.

v. otie)

find the explanation in ellipsis,

is)

g.

one (who

the truest.

Einenkel

and

Kellner offer no explanation.

Matzner

III

287/ suggests

romance

influence, the following of a substantive with the

indefinite article

by

a superlative with the definite article

being
Stoflfel

common
cf

in the

romance languages.

To

these Mr.

objects that examples occui- too early for

romance
in
is

influence,
Aelfric;

he hxfd geworht

ane pa

mxstan synne,

and that the hypothesis

no answer

that the construction

elliptical offers

to the question

why

one

is

used

at

all,

/ am

one the fairest being then perfectly equivalent

to

/ am

the fairest.

the idiom with one

He may

suggests

further

that

traces

of
in

be

seen in

modern English

the occasional false concord

of the verb and

antecedent

of a relative.
extensive,

In cases like Macaulay's one of the most

chfficult

and salutary reforms that ever

ivas

accomplished by any statesman , the writer seems to have

a sort of consciousness
relative
if

that a singular antecedent to the

should follow one; hence uses a singular verb, as

the sentence stood for an original one the most salutary,

instead of one of the most salutary.

Undoubtedly the
than attributive.

sui)erlative

phrase
is

is

appositive rather
as in

When

the noun

not supplied,

Vlll.

Some

eyntactical Peculiarities.

71

Shakespeare's one the

ivisest jw^wce,

the superlative
e.

is

to

be considered as substantivated not attributive,

g.

one the

worthiest is not equivalent to the ivorthiest one but to one

the worthiest (person).

Syre Lamorak, the moost

noblest

knyghte
3.

one

that

euer was in Arthurs dayes, Morte D. 792,

one the best

chylde that coude

the

ouwher be founden, Caxton, Reynard by

StofFel).

Fox. 34 (quoted
|

That she
faithfullest,
|

is

one the

worthiest,
lest

The

truest

and the

The

gentis

and the meekest of minde, TM. 236.

Spenser FQ.
is

For he

one

the truest knyght alive,

I 3, 37.

96.

The

appositive superlative

found

also,

though

less commonly, with other numerals.

At two

the

first

strokes,

Morte D. 343,
ib.

29.

two the

best knyghtes that

euer were,
8095. the

419,31.

two the best

tallest

sanapes, G. of

W.

height

of three the
7, 8.

sons of mortal seed, Spenser FQ. I

6.

Superlative in Comparisons of Two.

97.

The superlative
as in
first,

is

used frequently
English.

in

comparisons of two,
superlatives, as

modem
last,

Certain

foremost,

must be used almost

worse could not

unavoidably of two; and often

be substituted
force.

tetter or

for hest,

worst without noticeable loss of

o^For fyrst the lesse hoole,

Compare Ascham's

yf

it

he depe, is the tvorst

last

to healer,

and Marlowe's
in

'^Lady, the

was

truest

of the twaine,

which

tvorse,

and

truer
loss.

could not be substituted for worst and truest without

Hence, partly, the frequency of the construction, although

logically not permissible.
I

am

the yongest

and moost
shall

weylcest of

you bothe, Morte

is

D.

114,28

9.

Ye

chese which

moost

worthy,

72

VIII.

Some

syntactical Peculiarities.

that

is

syr

Bagdemagus and
launcelot

sir

Tor

my

son, ib. 124, 7

lete

8.

As

for sir

and

sir

Tristram

tliem

be,

for

the werst

of

them
I

will

not

be lyghtly
ib.

matched
I

of no

knyghtes that
sones

knowe lyuynge,

439, 17.

have two
the
eldest
least

that were but late

ib.

made knyghtes and

141.
J)at

hyghte Sir Torre,

is

740,13 14.

of two harms the

to

be taken,

PL.

CLXXXIX
to
it

Whycli of

J)es

to

personnes was most heJiolddyn

teries 80, 658.

man, Digby Mys|

Fyrst

is

their

custome ever

To go
|

two and two together

Excepte a grett impediment

|

And
elder

so to
\

my

ladys chamber of

Formost pricketh

in the

Which

them
let

is

most auncient,

R. and B. 84.
the
best,

Of

these

two euyls

se

now chuse

Wyatt
|

TM. 225. My lord Ferrex, your eldest sonne, misledd By traitours framde of yong vntempred wittes Assembleth
]

force against your younger sonne,

Norton Gorb. 126. and

theldest

brought him forth

p,way,

at

once too twinnes,

27.

she sent
.

Misogonus 422,
the
cf.

Soe two most goodly virgins

hight,

Of which

eldest,

that Fidessa

Spenser FQ.

12 (but

Kitchin's not).

Lady,

the last was truest

of the twaine, Marlowe Ed. II 207.

the masculine

To know whether
be most worthy,

or

the
I

feminine gender

Greene BB, 156.

I

warrant you the meanest of us both

ib.

Shall have a mate to lead us from the church,

157.

Which

contents you best,

ib.

To be

man

or

be

Lord

Lacy's wife?

177.

Whether of

these be the most excellent,

Sidney Ap, 70.

Appendix.

73

Appendix.
1.

But

for

than after no more, no

less,

as in

Shake-

speare's no more hut instruments (Franz

72),

occurs rarely.

And
Surrey,
2.

all

that
8.

was no more

hut

mine empressed mynde,

TM.

Instances of the following of more by nor, as in the

dialectal

modem
3.

more nor
then

ever,

were nowhere found.

after

The

variant

for

than

comparatives

is

found throughout the

Gretter pen,
better

fifteenth

and the sixteenth century.

freschar
63, 7.
then,
ib.

G. of
Bl.

W.

6826.

8137.

....
228.

than,

and Eg.

hyggar than, Morte

195.

D. 313,4.

more pure than,

Elyot 11
spiritual,

harder

then,

TM.
godly,
then,

more carnal than

more

more wordlye then

f\dler
then,

Lever 72.

rich then, Horestes 527, 895.

ib.

Gosson

33. perfecter than,

68.

more weary

Sidney Ap. 61.

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E. A.

Shakesperian Grammar.

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Rudolf. Die Sprache der Paston Letters.

Programm der

Reaischule beira Doventhor.

F.

Bremen

1882.

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Einenkel,

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Emerson,
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History of the English Language.

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Braunschweig, 1876.
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Ka

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Klapperich,
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J.

Die Steigerung des Adjektivs im Neuengliechen.

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Koch,

C. F.

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Historical Outlines of English Accidence. 1895.

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List of Texts

examined,

witli

Abbieviatione.

76

P a n n i n g E. Pialektisches Englisch
,

in

Elisabetbanischen Dramen.

Halle, 1884. Diss.

Ro meted t, H
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Schmidt,
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A.
E.

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vols. 1886.
3.

Angelsachsische Grammatik.

Aufl. 1898.

Stoffel, C.

The Quasi-Appositional Superlative

ff.

after

'One'.

Englische Studien 27, 253

Sweet, H. New English Grammar.

WolflBin,

History of English Sounds.

E.

Lateinische

und romanische

Komparation.

Er-

langen 1879

List of Texts examined, with Abbreviations.

Ancient Ballads and Broadsides.

Sixteenth Century.

Published in England in the

Ed. Philobiblon Society.

Toxophilus,
1545.

Asoham,
Bacon,
of 169798.

Roger.

Ed.

Arber.

(Tox.) The

Scholemaster, 157072.

Ed. Arber. (Schol.)

Lord.

Harmonie of Lord Bacon's Essays.

Collier.

Edition

Ed. Arber.

Bale, John.
Barlowe,

Kynge Johan

ICd.

(KJ.)

Comedy

concer-

nynge Three Lawes, 1538.

v.

Ed. Schroer. (Three L.) Ed. Kellner. EETS. Extra Series

Roy.

Blanchardyn and Eglantine. LVIII (Bl. and Eg.)

Br andl,
sptare. 1899.

A. Quelten des weltlichen

Dramas
Ed.

in

England

vor Shake-

Cambyses,

by Th.

Preston,

1561.

Dodeley-Hazlitt, Old

English Plays, IV.

C ax ton, WiUi&m, Book

EETS. Extra
(En.) Morte Barthur,
v.

of Curlesye, ca. 14718.

Ed. FurnivaJl,

Series III. (BC.)

Eneydos, 1490.

Extra Series LVII.

Malory.

Reynard

the

Fox, 1481. Ed. Arber.

EngUsh

Scholar's Library.

Chapman,

George.

The Blinde Begger of Alexandria,

1588.

Ed. Pearson. (BB.)

76

List of Texts examined, with Abbreviations.

Common

Conditions.

Comedy,

ca.

1576.

Ed. Brandl

in Quellen

des weltlichen Dramas in England vor Shakespeare.

Cox, Leonard.

The Arte or Crafte of Rhethoryke.

Before 157 L

Ed,

F.

Carpenter, Chicago 1899.-

Damon and
Dee,
Society.

Pithias.

Ed. Dodsley-Hazlltt IV.

Dr. John.

Private

Diary

of,

15541600.

Ed.

Camden

Digby Mysteries, 14801490

Society.

(?)

Ed. Furnivall.

New

Shakespeare

Douglas, Gavin. Poetical world. Ed. Small Drayton, Michael. Polyolbioti, 1622. Ed. Hooper.
Elyot,
Sir

(Poly.)

Thomas.

The Boke named the Gouernour, 1531. Ed.

Croft. 2 vols.

Everyman. Morality, 1530.

Faust-Book of 1592,

Ed. Dodsley-Hazlitt

1.

The English.

Ed. Logeman.

Gand

1900.

Four PP. V. Heywood. Four Supplications, 15291553.

(Four
S.J
I.

EETS.

Extra Series

XllL

\i.

A Supplicacyon for the Beggcrs, ca. 1529, by Simon Fish. A Supplicacyon to our moste soreraigne Ijorde Kynge
Henry
the

Eyght, 1544.

III.

Supplicacyon of the Poore Commons, 1546.

IV. The

Decaye of England
Chronicles,

by

the

great

multitude

of

Shepe, 1550-53.

Froissart, John.

translated

by

Lord Berners.
FA.

Reprinted from Pynsons Edition, 1523 25.

Gammer

Gurton's
I.

Needle, 1566.

Probably by John

Still.

Dodsley-Hazlitt

Gascoigne,
Gismond of

Genrjre.

The

Steele Glas, 1576.

Ed. Arber.

(St.

Gl)

The Complaynt of Philomene, 1576.

Salerne. Tra'gedy.

Ed. Arber. (Phil.)

Ed. Brandl
in

Quellen

etc.

Googe,

Barnabe. Eylogs, Epytaphes

&

Sonnetes, 1563. Ed. Arber.

Gosson, Stephen.

Greene,
Furioso (OF.),
(LG.), 1594.
the

Robert.
1594.

Dramatic

The School of Abuse 1597. Ed. Arber. and Poetical Works: Orlando
Looking
Glass for London

and England
James
1590.

Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (BB), 1594.

1598.

Fourth

(J. IV),

Alphonsus king of Arragon (AA.),

George-a-Greene, the Pinner of Wakefield (GG.), 1599.

Miscellaneous

Poems (MP.)

Ed. Dyce.

List of TextB oxHmined, with Abbreviations.

77
1559.

Grimald,
Ed. Arber.

Nicholas.

Poems

in

Tottel's

Miscellany,

Guy of Warwick. Fifteenth Century Version. Ed. Zupitza. EETS. Extra Series XXV, XXV L (G. of W.) Edited from the Auchinleck MS. and from the M8. in Caius College, Cambridge. EETS. Extra Series XLII.

Hakluyt,

Richard. Divers Voyages, 1852.

Philip. Diary, 1511

Ed. Jones.

Hens lo we, Heywood,

Hazlitt
II.

1609.
Ed.

Ed. Shakespeare Society.

ca.

John.

The Four PP.

the

1540.

Ed.

Dodsley-

The

Play of

Wether.

Brandl.

The

Play of
1605.

Love.

Ed. Brandl.
Tlioraas, If

Heywood,
Ed.
Collier.

youknoic not

Me you know No Bodie.

Hickscorner.
Horestes.

E<\.

Dodsley-Hazlitt

I.

Interlude, ca.
I

15645.

Ed. Brandl.
with
a

James

of Scotland.

The Kinyis Quair together

England.

Ballad of Goo<l Counsel.

Ed. Skeat. Scottish Text Society.

I of

James VI of Scotland,
Kiug Darius,
Hazlitt
V.

The Essays of a

Prcntise in the Divine Art of Poesie, 1585.

1565.

Ed. Arber.

Ed. Brandl.
ca.

Kyd, Thomas.
Dodsley-Hazlitt IV.

The Spani,sk Tragedy,

ITie
first

1594.

Ed. Dodsleyca.

(Sp. Tray.)

Part of Jeronimo,

1588.

Ed.

Latimer,
Ed. Arber
(S.).

Hugh.

Seveyi
tJie

Sermons

before

Edtvard

VI,

1549.

Sermon on

Ploughers, 1549.

Ed. Arber.

Lever, Thomas. Sermons, 1550. Ed. Arber. Lodge, Thomas. A Defence of Poetry,
Play.-^,

Music,

and Stage

1579

80. An Alarum
Morality,

against Ufiurers. The Delectable History

of Forbonius and Prisceria, 1584.

Ed. Shakespeare Society.

Lusty Jucentus.

Lyly, John.
(Euph.)
mion, 1591.

By K. VVever. Ed. Dodsley-Hazlitt II. Euphues, Tlie Anatomy of Wit, 1579. Ed. Arber.
Ed. Arber. (EE.) Endi-

Euphues and His England, 1580.

Ed. Fairholt. (End.J

Machyn,
Malory,
(Morte D.J

Henry. Diary
Sir

of,

155063.

Ed.

Camden

Society.
an>l edited

Thomas.

Ij:

Morte Darthur.

Reprinted

from the original edition of William Caxton by H.

U.'^kar Soinnier.

Mankind, Morality. MS.

at i:itest 1483.

Ed. Brandl.

Markliara, Gervaise,
Grenville Kt.
I.''i91.

7'he most

hunorable Tragedy of Sir Richard

Ed. Arber.

78

List of Texts examined, with Abbreviations.

Marlowe,
(Tanib.)

Christopher.

Tamburlaine, Parts

and
Jetc

II,

1500.

Hie Tragical History of Dr. Faustus.

the Second.

The

of Malta.

Edward

The Massacre at Paris.

Ed. Dy*-e.

The Tragedy of Dido,

Queen of Carthage.
Misogomis.

Misfortunes of Arthur, 1587.

ca.

Ed. Dodsley-Hazlitt IV.

1577.

Ed. Brandl.
Utopia.

More,

Sir

Thomas.

Translated into English by Ralph

Robinson, 1566.

Ed. Arher. (UtopJ

Nash, Thomas. The Unfortunate Traveller, 1594. Ed. Gosse. (T/^r.>) Henry Medwull. Ed. Brandl. North brook e, John. A Treatise against Dicing, Dancing,
Nature. Morality by
Plays, and Interludes, ca. 1577. Ed. Shakespeare Society.

Norton, Thomas.
Actes

The Tragedy of Gorboduc.

Whereof Three
Ed.

were wrytten

by Thomas

Sackuyle,

1565.

Shake-

speare Society. (GorbJ

Paston Letters, The. 1424-1508.

Ed. Ramsay. (PL.)

:

Peele, George.
of Paris (AP.), 1584.

Dramatic and Poetical Works

The Arraignment
The Battle
Ed. Dyce.

Edward
1599.

the First

(Ed.

I), 1583.

of Alcazar (BA.), 1594.

The Old Wives' Tale (OWT.J, 1594. David

Miscellaneous Poems.

and Bethsabe (DB.J,

Pride of Life.

(MP.)

Morality. Ed. Brandl.

(?)

Pnttenham, George
Ed. Arber.

^^^

-l'"'*

^f Fnglish

J'ocsie,

1589.

Raleigh,
Respublica.

Sir Walter. Poems.

Ed. Hannah.

Interlude, 1553.

Ed. BraudJ.
be nott

wrothe

Roy, William, and Jerome Barlowe. Bede me and Ed. Arber. (R. and B.J etc. 16281530.
v.

Sackville,

Norton.

Sidney,
Sir

Sir Philip.

AnApologie for
Clamydes.

Poetrie, 1595. Ed. Arber. (Ap.)

Clyomon

and Sir

Earlier

assigned

to

Peele.

Ed. Dyce.

SkeltoD, John. Poetical Works. Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie

chin. (FQ.)

Ed. Dyce, 2
Qtieene,

vols.
I.

Book

1590.

Ed. Kit-

The Shepheard's Calendar, 1578. Ed. Herford. (Shep. Cal.)

of.

Surrey, Henry Howard, Earl

1567. Ed. Arber.

Poems, in Tottel

Miscellany,

Poems.

Ed. Yeowell.
I.

Thersites, 1537.

Ed. Dodsley-Hazlitt,
15-57.

To tt el's

Miscellany,

Ed. Arber. (TM.J

(?).

Udull, Nicholas.

Roister Doister, 1566

Ed. Arber. (R. D.)

Watson, Thomas.

Poems, 158293.

Ed. Arber.

Other Abbreviations.

79
Ed. Arber.

Webbe, Edward.

His Travels, 1590.

Web be,
Wyatt,
Arber.

William.

Discourse of English Poetrie, 1586.

Wright's Chaste Wife, The, ca. 1452.

Sir

EETS. XIl. Ed.

Miscellany,

Furnivall.
1557.

Thomas.

Poems

in Tottel'a

Ed.

Poems.

Ed. Yeowell.
Ed. Smith.

York

Plaifs. ca. 1430.

(York PL)

Other Abbreviations.

IE.

Teut.

= =
-=

Indo-European.
Teutonic, Primitive Germanic.

OE.

Old English.

ME. LWS.
Diss.

Middle English.

=^ Late

West Saxon.

Introd.

= =

Dissertation.

Introduction.

App.
Ded. Ep.

Appendix.
Dedicatory Epistle

Gen. Arg.
N. Eng. Diet.

= =

General Argument.
English
Dictionary,

=
=

New

Ed

by the Philological

Society.

AS. Gr.
N. Eng. Gr.

Sievers,

Anglo Saxon Grammar.

Shak.

= =

Sweet,

New

English Grammar.

Shakespeare.
ca.
V.
cf.

= = =
=

circa, about.
vide, see.

confer, compare.

lb.
id.

ibidem, in the

same place

n.

idem, the same.

Note,

80

Partial Index of

Forms.

Partial Index of
The numerical references

Forms.

are to paragraphs.

Abeler, 12.
admirablest, 22.23.
aftermost, 68,
3).

chiefest,

-st,

-ist,

77.

Faith fullest, 20,4),

choicest, 77,2).

famousest, 13.
1).

connynger, 34,
consaiteder,
7.

far, 65.

alder-, aller-, 74.

farar

(=

fairer), 11, 1),

(

alderliefest, 74.

contraryest, 21.

farast
2), 21).

fairest)

aklermost, 74.
altherbest, 74.
al|)erfaireet, 74.
aljjerfirst, 74.

cowardleste, 15,
cowardlier, 21,

11,2),

farder, -est, 65,66,

farther, -est, 65, 66,
farrar, 65,2).

crookeder,

-est, 6. 7.

cruellest, 20,9).

al{)erla8t, 74.

cunninger,

-est, 34, 1).

farre, 65, 1),

2),

auncienter,

-est, 20, 8).

1).

cunningst, 14.
curiouser,
7.

fellowlist, 15,2),
ferfulst, 20,4).

austerest, 20,

Bad, 50.
badder,
-est, 51.

curstest, 34, 2).

ferre, 65.

curteyst, 13.

ferrer, -est, 65,

fertilest, 20,9).

beautifuUest, 21.
beggarlieet, 21.

Delightful! est, 7.

feythfullest, 20,4).

deppest, 41.
derrest, 41,
diligenter, -este, 21,

beholddyn, 35,2).
beholdyng, 35,2).
best, 36. 46.
beetest, 7. 71,
bet, bett, 47.

formar, 11,

1). 1).

forme, 67,

former, 67,2).
formest, 67,
3). 3).

directer, 20,

1).

discretest, 20, 1)

formost, 67,

diuinest, 20,

1).

forwarder, 20,8).
freschar, 11,1). 19.
furder, -est, 63. 66.
furr, 65,2).

better, 36,46.

doghtyar, 11,

1),

betters, 86,
bettir,

2).

dolefuller, -est, 20,4),

11,1).

dulcer, 19,

bettur, 11, 1)

further, -est, 65, 66.

beytterar,
20, 3).
bittrest, 12.

11,1).

12,

Earnester, 20,6).
eldar, 11,1).

furtherance, 66, N.
furtherer, 66,
!N.

elder, -st, 37. 40.

fyniiest, 41.
1).

boldear, 11,

endmost, 68,
evill, 50.

3).

boldyet, 11,2).

Gallantest, 20,8).
gentelyst,
20,3).
gentiller,-e8t,12.20,3).
11,2).
12.

but after comparatives,

excellentest, 21.

A pp.

1.

expertest, 20,
12.

1),

byttert'8te,

20,3)

extremest, 20,

1).

Partial

Index of Forms.
19.
-est, 52. 54.

81
raurrainer, 20,

gentlest, 12.

liefest,
little,

9).

glory osest, 21.

greatter, -est, 41.
gretter, -ent, 41,
gretist,
11, 2 1.
6;.

-er,
-er,

myldist, 11,2).

long,

-est, 37.

Narre, 62,3).
lothyst, 11,2).

narrower, 20,
3).

7).

lowermost, 68,
lyker, 19.

naturalest,

7.

greuouser, 20,
gryeiyest, 20,

near, 62,2).
2).

Mair, 44,2).

nearer, -est, 62.

nere, 62,2).

HighmoBt,

68,2).

maist, 44,

4).

hindmost, 68.
hinmest, 68,
1).

manerlyest, 21.
manliest, 15, 20,2).
3).

nethermost, 68,
newist, 11,
2).

3).

hithermost, 68,

mare, 44,2).
mast, 44,4).
meest, 44,
mekill,
44,1,1.
4).

next, 62. 63.

nexter, 64.

hoUowst,

14.

20,71
6).

honester, 20,

nextmost, 64.
etc.

honorablest, 22.
horryblest, 12. 21.

niickle,

nicerer, 7, 71.

nieghest, 62,
nier, 62,
1).

1).

humblest,

12.
1).

melancholiest, 22.
merueyllest, 13. 21.

hyndermost, 68,
Idelest,
ill,

nigh, -est, 62.

noblest, 20,3).
nor,
after

12.

meryest, 16.
mest, 44,
4).
1;.

compara-

50,2).

indisputablest. 6.
inferiours, 86. 2).

mich, 44,

tives,
1).

A pp.
1).

middlemost, 68,

notablest, 21.

ingrateet, 20,

midmost,
9).

68.

nygh, 62,
Old,
13.
-er,

inuiOBt, 68, 2).

minionst, 14.

est,

37.40.

inuentivest, 21.

mischeuoust,

orgulist, 13.

inwardest, 20,

8).

mo, moe, moo, 44,3).

out, outer, 58.

ioyfiilleet, 20,4).

moch,

44,

Is,

outerest, 58,

2).

mochel, 44, 1\
Lasee, 52,1).
last, 55,3). 57.

outermost, 58.
overest, 58,
2).

modheratest,
nioir, 44, 2).

7.

outmost, 58, 2\

late, -er,

-ej^t,

55, 2), 4). 56. 57.

moost, 44.

4).

overmast, 68,2).
Passablest, 21.
j>atienter, 7.

latter, 55,
lattir,

1).

umr, 44,2).
more, 44,
2l.

11,1).

lawfuller, 20,4).

morr, 44,2).

leakingest, 7.
leaste, 52. 53.
leefer, 19.

most, 44,

4).
4).
1).

perfecter,

est,

20,8).

moste, 44,

perilloust, 13.

mouch,

44,

pleasanter, -est, 20,

pooriste, 11,
2).

8).

lengar, 11,1).
lenger, -est, 39.
less, 52. 53.

mom-nefulst, 20, 4\

movingest, 34.

powerfuller,

6.

much,

44.
1).

pratyer, 20,2).

leste, 52.

mm-il, 44,

profoundest, 20,
6

1).

Pound, Comparison of Adjectives.

82
properest, 20,

Partial

Index of Forms.
compara1.

3).

than, after
tives,

Wantonest, 20,9).
war, 50,
4).

pryuyest, 20,2).
purist, 11,2).

App.

then,

for

than

after

warlik.st, 14.

comparatives,
Reasonablest, 22.

warre, 50,

4).

App.
rediar, 11,1).

1.
6).

v^arse, 50, 4).

reufullyr, 11,

thievisher, 20,
1).

welcommest,
werre, 50,
wers, 50,
4).

20,9).

thynest, 16.

reverendest,
rightest, 19.

6.

topmost, 68,3). triumphantest, 21.

ryallest, 20,9).

4).
4).
5). 9).

werse, 50,
werst, 50,

tunabiest, 21.

Sale west, 20,

seasonablest,

7).

wholesomest, 20,

7.

Undermost,
unjustest, 7.

68,3).

wickedder, 20,5).
widder, 41.
willinger, 34,
1).

eecrettest, 20,9).

seinelyest, 20,2)

upmost, 68,2).
utir, 11,1).

shamefullest, 20,4).
slender,
-er, -est,

withouten mo, 44,

wofullest, 20,4).
59, 60.
2).

3).

20, 3).

utmost, 58,2), 68.

utter, 58,
1).

southmost, 68,
pplendider,
7.

3).

worre, 50,

4).
4).
1).

uttermest, 58,
2).
1).

worse, 50,

strangest, 38,

uttermost, 58,2). 68
uttrest, 58,2).

worser, 70,

strenger, -est, 3^,

worshipfuller, -est, 21.

strengyst, 11,2).

worsse, 50,
Valiant'st, 14.

4).

stronger, -est, 37.

worst, 50,

5).

superiours, 86,

valyanter,
2).

-est,

20, 8).

wretcheder,
7. 20,5).

-est,

swetter, -est, 41.

valyaunts, 14. N.
12.

symplyer,
20,
8;.

est,

venomost,
veriest, 77,

13.

wurs, 50,
2).

4).
5).
1).

wnrst, 50,
violenter, 21.

wysar, 11,
Tenderest, 20,3;.
terriblest,, 21.

vylaynst, 13.

Yonyers, 86,

2).

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,

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gefteHten ^^bilofoptien. iefer eid^id()t^id)vciber Ififet nid^t fcine *pi)ilofopt)en reben, fonbern fie rebcn felbft. 3ie trogeu if)re eigenen ebanteu uor, nur frcier, natiir lidfier, in eincr lcbf)nfteren, buvd^fid[)tigeren pradbe, c[U wix fie in ibrcu eigenen SBerfen finben, unb meit fefter al^ in if)ren eigenen 2Cerfen baben fic ben 3ielpu"ft '^^^

ebanfcn nor Slugen. Slber bicfe ebanlen finb bennod& nicmal^ Deranbert, nienial8 t)crfdf)bnt unb niemol^ tierbilbct. Sie finb ba^ in ber 2furm gereinigte, im cbalte
DoUig getrcue Siad&bilb beS CriginalienferS. iefe ilunft ber 2)arftcllung ift ebenfo neu al3 notaenbig. 5lBoI)rIid), totx bie O^ntmirflung beS tf)eoretifd^en eiftc8 tion SDescarteS' bi ju ^ants grofeen 9tad&f olgern aunt Dbjctt ju madden imftanbe tvax. " ber bnt fin fd^bpf crifd^eS SBerf bollbrad^t (^leufeifd^e 3a^rbiid^er.)
. .

Snanulbrud

SBiiiter, ^eibelbere-

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