Anglosaxon forma mesta, primus.

comparative is wanting formesta, fyr

Old-English: Adam oure forme father (CHAUCER Tale of Melib.); still in Skelton: his forme foote (forefoot) (I. 385.). Adam oure foremest fader (MAUNDEV. p. 303.); and still in Skelton: That wonte was to be formyst (I. 230.). The allied in sense first, primus, belongs to the Anglosaxon fyrra fyrrest, fyrst, Old-norse fyrri — fyrstr, prior, primus, which corresponds in sound with the Anglosaxon fyrre feorrest, fyrrest, from feor, English far, yet related to the Anglosaxon forma, belongs to for, Old-norse fyri. - First and formest are often put together even in Old - English (PIERS PLOUGHM. p. 403.).

hindmost and hindermost (Anglosaxon hindema, hinduma, ultimus; compare hind-veard, posterus; Gothic hindumists; hinder is in the Anglosaxon an adverb and preposition, in English an adjective).

Old-English also formed the superlative hinderest, like innerest, overest, upperest, utterest.

inmost and innermost (Gothic innuma Anglosaxon innemesta; with it is found the Anglosaxon comparative innera and superlative innôsta). In English inner is in use as an adjective.

outmost and outermost (Anglosaxon ûtemest, to which the adjective comparative ûtera, ûttra belongs in meaning. The adverb ût forms utôr útemôst, ûtemest). The adjective outer still belongs to the English.

utmost and uttermost (Anglosaxon ŷtemesta, with which the positive ŷte and the comparative ŷtra agree); the adjective utter continues.

utmost is distinguished in usage from outmost in part by the former's being more appropriated to the determination of degree, the latter to the determination of space as such.

upmost, uppermost and overmost (Anglosaxon is up, uppe only an adverb, sursum; it borrowed its forms of comparison from ufa, supra; ufòr, yfemest. As an adjective the superlative ufemesta, yfemesta along with the comparative ufora, ufera was usual). In English the comparative upper is in use as an adjective, over essentially as an adverb and preposition; compare the Old-English overest alongside of upperest, see above. Upmost is rare.

endmost (Anglosaxon is endemest [endemes?], to which endeextremitas as a substantive belongs, an adverb; it is hardly a compound from ende-mæst).

mestness

In Old-English a comparative form ender, endir, is found: this ender dai = lately. See Halliwell s. v, to which endermost. dialectically undermost, is still in use.

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midmost and middlemost, Anglosaxon mëdemôsta, see above, lies at the root of the former form; compare also the adjective mid, med; the second leans upon the adjective middel midlesta.

aftermost (Anglosaxon äftemesta, äftemosta, to which äftera as a positive, äfterra as a comparative occur).

undermost (Anglosaxon under is a preposition; in English under preserves essentially the nature of a preposition and an adverb).

nethermost, in Scottish dialects nethmist, nedmist (Anglosaxon nidemesta, along with the comparative nidera, neodera, whence the English adjective nether).

lowermost, as the superlative of low lower along with lowest, without any Anglosaxon precedent, from the Old-norse lâg, locus depressus, compare lâgreistr, humilis, English dialectical loff, loffer.

hithermost (Anglosaxon hider, huc, adverb; a comparative hiderer is cited). In English hither is also employed adjecttively. A form thithermost over against it (Anglosaxon pider, illuc) seems not to have been formed by the older language. furthermost, is a collateral form of furthest (see above) beside which the adverb furthermore still stands as a comparative.

The adverbial comparative, resting upon a misunderstanding of most, is already old: Yit i-peynted was a litel forthermore, How Atthalaunce huntyd the wilde bore (CHAUCER 2071.). Chaucer has Backirmore: Belle Dame sans Mercy 85. Dialectically we have bettermer, bettermest, uppermer, nighermer, lowermer, innermore and many more.

highmost, Shakspeare has from high instead of highest; dialectic in Yorkshire.

southmost (Anglosaxon sûðmest, like vestmest); westmost is also found in Rob. of Gloucester 1. 220. On the other hand in English westernmost, northernmost, also southernmost are formed out of the corresponding adjectives (Anglosaxon adj. vestern, nordern, sûthern).

topmost (Anglosaxon top); weathermost ward; sternmost

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furthest to windfarthest astern, and more dialectically, are formed out of substantives.

b) The periphrastic formation of the degrees of comparison is that in which more and most with the positive serve to represent the comparative and the superlative: frugal, more frugal, most frugal. A sharp boundary is not to be drawn between the use of derivative forms and the periphrastic formation, although monosyllabic adjectives commonly prefer derivative terminations. Even with monosyllabic adjectives however the periphrastic comparison is frequent: Ingratitude, more strong than traitors arms (SHAKSPEARE Jul. C.). The silver swans her hapless fate bemoan In notes more sad than when they sing their own (POPE). There shall he welcome thee. . With smiles more sweet Than when at first he took thee by the hand (BRYANT). By accident most strange (SHAKSPEARE Temp.). Most poor matters (IB.). O, most dear mistress! (IB.). To their most great and growing region (L. BYRON). 'Tis but to feel that one most dear Grows needful

to the heart (TOWNSEND). The Majesty of the Most High Shall overshadow thee (LONGFELLOW). With participles the periphrasis is naturally preferred: His heart.. more bent to raise the wretched than to rise (GOLDSMITH). Most damned Angelo! (SHAKSPEARE Meas. for Meas.).

If one object is not compared with the other with regard to equality, but rather one quality with the other, more in general appears: Our authors make a doubt Whether he were more wise or stout (BUTLER); yet even here the other mode of comparison, especially before than, takes place: Your company is fairer than honest (SHAKSPEARE Meas. for Meas.).

The periphrastic comparison is very old in English and runs parallel with the other without visible distinction: Of fayrost fourme & maners, & mest gentyl & fre (ROB. OF GLOUCESTER II. 420.). Man is hym moost lik and: And made man likkest (PIERS PLOUGHMAN p. 161.). O Griffoun hathe the body more gret and is more strong thanne 8 lyouns . .; and more gret and strongere, than an 100 egles (MAUNDEV. p. 269.). Compare also: Upon a lowly asse more white then snow; Yet she much whiter (SPENSER p. 10. I.).

As with forms of comparison by derivative terminations a double comparison occurs, a reduplication of the comparison by the combination of more and most with a derived comparative and superlative form takes place. Modern grammarians reject it. It is very old and is frequently inoffensive in the written language down to the seventeenth century: That lond is meche more hottere than it is here (MAUNDEV. p. 29.). Another sege more lowere p. 217.). The most faires damyselles (p. 280.). Moost clennest flessh of briddes (PIERS PLOUGHм. p. 276.). I was more wrother (SKELTON I. 146.). The yonge man is more folyssher (p. 200.). He is more rahappyer (p. 20.); very common in Shakspeare: To some more fitter place (Meas. for Meas.). Instruments of some more mightier member (IB.). I am more better than Prospero (Temp.). His more braver daughter (IB.). More fairer than fair (Love's L. L.). The most unkindest cut of all (Jul. C.). The calmest and most stillest night (Henr. iv.). The longest night.. and the most heaviest (Two Gentl. of Ver.) &c. The most straightest sect of our religion (ACTS of the Ap. 26, 5.). The aim of the reduplication was, as ever, strengthening. Ben Jonson deemed such geminations to be English Atticisms. The warning of Modern-English grammarians against expressions of this sort proves that they are still frequently in use in writing, although not in literature, as they still abound in dialects.

To the comparison effected by more, most we may oppose the reduction to a lower and lowest degree by less, least: Of feelings fierier far but less severe (L. BYRON). Some less majestic, less beloved head (ID.). The tree of deepest root is found Least willing still to quit the ground (MRS. THRALE). On loftiest and least shelter'd rocks (L. BYRON).

A strengthening of the comparative is brought about by adverbs and adverbial determinations, as much, greatly, incomparably,

yet, still, far, by far, a great deal &c.: Your hair has grown much grayer (LONGFELLOW). England is greatly larger than Scotland (W. SCOTT). A living death And buried; but O, yet more miserable (MILTON). With arm still lustier (L. BYRON). Of feelings fierier far (1.). There are maidens in Scotland more lovely by far (W. Scorr) &c. Even the superlative is strengthened adverbially: A self-mastery of the very highest kind (LEWES). Epaminondas was by far the most accomplished of the Thebans (MURRAY) &c.

The formerly widely diffused strengthening of the superlative by composition with alder, aller, which is still met with in Shakspeare in alderliefest (see above p. 176), has been abandoned. The same sense is effected, by annexing the positive with a plural substantive, or even used as a substantive with of, to the superlative, whereby, as by alder, the whole sphere of homogeneous objects is denoted. In poets this is not rare: Loveliest of lovely things are they, On earth, that soonest pass away (BRYANT). The brarest of the brave (L. BYRON). Well doth the Spanish hind the difference know Twixt him and Lusian slave the lowest of the low (ID.). Old-English: Fairest of faire, o lady myn Venus (CHAUCER 2223.). An other strengthening is the combination of the superlative with the positive: My dearest-dear Victorian (LONGFELLOW).

Many adjectives are, from their meaning, incapable of degrees of comparison. Here belong all those, whose intensity is not capable of a more or a less, especially those expressing definite relations of time, space and number, as yearly, square, second, or referring to material, possession or descent as wooden, paternal, French, as well as those, which by themselves express the highest measure of the notion or negative determinations, as infinite, eternal, immense, consummate, omnipotent, boundless &c. Yet here an abstract rule does not suffice. The superlative, especially, of many words of this sort, in spite of the censure of grammarians, is used to strengthen the meaning conveyed by the positive, and even comparatives are not wanting which seem to mock the literal conception. Compare: A purpler beverage (L. BYRON). Once bloody mortals and now bloodier idols (ID.). Lest the dead under the sod, In the land of strangers, should be lonely! Ah me! I think I am lonelier here! (LONGFELLOW). My chiefest entertainment (SHERIDAN). The grave shall bear the chiefest prize away (L. BYRON), The perfectest herald of joy (SHAKSPEARE Much Ado &c.). Hail! divinest Melancholy! (MILTON). You divinest powers (OTWAY). I am the falsest, veriest slave (ID.). I'm the veriest fool (LONGFELLOW). When deeds are wrought Which well might shame extremest hell (WHITTIER). I live and die unheard with a most voiceless thought (L. BYRON). No discord in the three But the most perfect harmony (LONGFELLOW); and in a descending scale of comparison: The Roman friend of Rome's least mortal mind (ID.). Nothing is more frequent than the employment of chiefest, extremest, which the narrowmindedness of grammarians rejects,

who rather have to comprehend the mode of viewing things, represented by the living language, than to fix limits to it.

The Modern-English adjective cheap, at the comparison of which no one is now offended, is properly a substantive (Anglosaxon ceáp, pecus, pretium, negotium) and was originally compounded with great, good, like bon marché; wherefore no comparison appeared in the preceding adjective. Old-English: Thei ben there grettere cheep (MAUNDEV. p. 49.). Clothes. . ben gretter chep there (p. 233.). ile made of hem bettre cheep (p. 83.). Compare also good-cheap in Halliwell s. v. Chief is indeed originally a substantive too, standing, however, in a direct relation with another substantive.

3) The Numeral.

Next in order to the adjective comes the numeral, so far as it gains, as a determination of magnitude, characterizing objects under the point of view of their unity or multiplicity, the nature of a qualifying word, and stands like the latter in formal relation to the substantive.

English has adjective cardinal numerals, ordinal numerals and numerals of multiplication. They are, almost without exception, of Anglosaxon origin.

a) The cardinal number serves to express Unity and the number of units. In their older of succession they present themselves in the following manner:

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8.

1. one, Anglosaxon ân, Old-English one, oone, on, o, ane, a &c. 2. two, Anglosaxon tvêgen, tvâ, Old-English twey, tway, tweie, tweine, two. 3. three, Anglosaxon prî, preó, Old-English pre. 4. four, Anglosaxon feóver, Old-English foure. 5. five, Anglosaxon fif, Old-English five. 6. sir, Anglosaxon six, Old-English sixe, syxe. 7. seven, Anglosaxon seofon, Old-English seven. eight, Anglosaxon eahta, Old-English eizte, azt, aughte. 9. nine, Anglosaxon nigon, Old-English nyne, nine. 10. ten, Anglosaxon tên, tin, tŷn tëhon, Old-English tene. 11. elere, Anglosaxon endlif, dative endlifum, endleofon, endlefen, Old-English endleue, ellene, endleuene. 12. twelve, Anglosaxon tvelf, Old-English tuelue, twolf, twelf. 13. thirteen, Anglosaxon preótŷne, Old-English prottene, thretene. 14. fourteen, Anglosaxon feóvertŷne, Old-English fowrtene, also fourte (WEBER). 15. fifteen, Anglosaxon fiftyne, Old-English fiftene. 16. sixteen, Anglosaxon sixtŷne, Old-English sixtene. 17. seventeen, Anglosaxon seofontŷne, Old English seventene. 18. eighteen, Anglosaxon eahtatŷne, Old-English eiztetene, ayttene. 19. nineteen, Anglosaxon nigontŷne, Old-English nyentene. 20. twenty. Anglosaxon tvêntig, Old-English tuenty, tuenti. 21. &c. twenty-one, two, three &c. 30. thirty, Anglosaxon prîtig, prittig, Old-English pritty. 40. forty, Anglosaxon feóvertig, OldEnglish fowertie, fourty. 50. fifty, Auglosaxon fiftig, Old-English fifty. 60. sixty, Anglosaxon sixtig, Old-English sixty. 70. seventy, Anglosaxon seofontig, Old-English seventy. 80. eighty, Anglosaxon eahtatig, Old-English eiztety. 90. ninety, Anglosaxon nigontig, Old-English ninty. 100. (a, one) hundred, Anglosaxon hundred,