Page:A Concise Grammar of the Malagasy Language.djvu/39

 Reduplication of an adjective nearly always lessens its meaning; as, fòtsy, 'white'; fòtsifòtsy, 'whitish'. But repetition of an adjective, with the insertion of dìa in the interval, always intensifies its meaning; as, fòtsy dìa fòtsy, 'very white'.

No changes are made in the form of an adjective to show the degrees of comparison. A comparative degree is known by nòho, kòa nòho, kokòa nòho, or làvitra nòho, following the adjective; a superlative degree, by àmy or indrìnda àmy.

Or, by the omission of nòho or àmy, any of these forms may be used absolutely, the compared object being supplied mentally; as, tsàratsàra kokòa ìo, 'that is better' (than some other).

Or the simplest form of the adjective may be used as a superlative, nò (the emphatic and discriminative particle) being put after it; as, ìza no tsàra? 'which (is the) good (one)?' i.e. which is the best?

Another idiom is what the Rev. W. E. Cousins calls "the conditional superlative", a term which is best explained by the following examples:—

(a) From Fable XII.: màfy kòa ràha màfy, 'hard, if (there be anything) hard'. (Adjective.)

(b) From Luke xxii. 15: Nanìry kòa ràha nanìry Aho, 'desired, if I desired'; or, as our Authorized Version says, With desire have I desired. (Verb.)