Comparison in English
English, because of the complex etymology of its lexicon, has two parallel systems of comparison. One involves the suffixes -er (the "comparative") and -est (the "superlative"). These inflections are of Germanic origin, and are cognate with the Latin suffixes -ior and -issimus. They are typically added to shorter words, words of Anglo-Saxon origin, and borrowed words that have been fully assimilated into the English vocabulary. Usually the words that take these inflections have fewer than three syllables. This system contains a number of irregular forms, some of which, like good, better, best, contain suppletive forms. These irregular forms include:
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| good | better | best |
| well | better | best |
| bad | worse | worst |
| far | farther | farthest |
| far | further | furthest |
| little | smaller, less(er) | smallest, least |
| many, much | more | most |
Read more about this topic: Degree Of Comparison
Famous quotes containing the words comparison and/or english:
“It is very important not to become hard. The artist must always have one skin too few in comparison to other people, so you feel the slightest wind.”
—Shusha Guppy (b. 1938)
“I don’t wish to give offense when I suggest that this country should select a king, or even a queen, rather than a president. One isn’t that quick to shoot a king or a queen—the majesty of royalty, you see.”
—David Webb Peoples, screenwriter. English Bob (Richard Harris)