Page:A Dictionary of the English language- Volume I.djvu/17

ENGLISH TONGUE. Of Adjectives in the English language are wholly indeclinable; having neither case, gender, nor number, and being added to substantives in all relations without any change; as, a good woman, good womnen, of a good woman; a good man, good men, of good men.

The comparative degree of adjectives is formed by adding er, the superlative by adding est, to the positive; as, fair, fairer, fairest; lovely, lovelier, loveliest; sweet, sweeter, sweetest; low, lower, lowest; high, higher, highest. Some words are irregularly compared; as good, better, best; bad, worse, worst; little, less, least; near, nearer, next; much, more, most; many (or moe), more (for moer), most (for moest); late, later, latest or last. Some comparatives form a superlative by adding most, as nether, nethermost; outer, outmost; under, undermost; up, upper, uppermost; fore, former, foremost. Most is sometimes added to a substantive, as topmost, southmost. Many adjectives do not admit of comparison by terminations, and are only compared by more and most, as benevolent, more benevolent, most benevolent. All adjectives may be compared by more and most, even when they have comparatives and superlatives regularly formed; as fair; fairer, or more fair; fairest, or most fair.

In adjectives that admit a regular comparison, the comparative more is oftener used than the superlative most, as more fair is oftener written for fairer, than most fair for fairest.

The comparison of adjectives is very uncertain; and being much regulated by commodiousness of utterance, or agreeableness of sound, is not easily reduced to rules. Monosyllables are commonly compared. Polysyllables, or words of more than two syllables, are seldom compared otherwise than by more and most, as deplorable, more deplorable, most deplorable. Dissyllables are seldom compared if they terminate some, as fulsome, toilsome; in ful, as careful, spleenful, dreadful; in ing, as trifing, charming; in ous, as porous; in less, as careless, harmless; in ed, as wretched; in id, as candid; in al, as mortal; in ent, as recent, fervent; in ain, as certain; in ive, as missive; in dy, as woody; in fy, as puffy; in ky, as rocky, except lucky; in my, as roomy; in ny, as skinny; in py, as ropy, except happy; in ry, as hoary.

Some comparatives and fuperlatives are yet found in good writers formed without regard to the foregoing rules ; but in a language fubjeded fo little and fo lately to grammar, fuch anomalies muft frequently occur. So Jhady is compared by Mihcn, She in jhaditfi covert hid, Tun'd her noctsmal note. Farad. Loji, And virtuous- What flie wills to fay or do. Seems wifeft, -virtuoufjl, difcreetcft, baft. Parad. Loft. So trifting by Ray, who is indeed of no great authority. It is not fo decorous, in refpeft of God, that he fhould immediately do all the mean- eft and trifiingeft things himfelf, without making ufe of any inferior or fubordiiiate minifter. Ray on the Creation, Famous, by Milton, I fhall be named among the fimcufft Of women, fung at folemn feftivals. Milton s ylgonijles. Iri'venti've, by Afham. Thofe have the inventi-veft heads for all purpofes, and roundeft tongues in ail mat- ters. Afkanis Schoolmajler. Mortal, by Bacon. The rnortaleft poifons praftifed by the Weft Indians, have feme mixture of the blood, fatj or flefli of man. Bacon. b 2. isaturifl.