Elements of English Grammar, for Ladies' Schools

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1849 edition. Excerpt: ...dark-es-t; cold-er, cold-es, cold-es-t; rich-er, rich-es, rich-es-t; dry-er, dry-es, dry-es-t; low-er, low-es, low-es-t. 80. Positive form wanting.--The words better and best have no positive form; since there is no such words as bet or be, meaning good. The same is the case with the words worse and worst. 81. The word good is found in the positive degree only; there being no such words as gooder and goodest. The same is the case with the word bad; since the words badder and baddest are not used in the present English. The same, also, is the case with the words evil, ill, little, and much. 82. Two forms of the Comparative.--The word old has two comparative forms: --1. Older--as, / am older than you. 2. Elder--as, I am the elder brother. It has also two superlatives, oldest and eldest. Note.--The comparative form elder may be used as a substantive; since we may say, the elders of the people. In Anglo-Saxon, several other words changed their vowels in the comparative degree. A. S. Positive.A. S. Comparative. English. LangLeng-reLong StrangStreng-reStrong GeongGyng-reYoung SceortScyrt-reShort HeahHy-rreHigh Eald Yld-re Old. 83. The words inmost, outmost, upmost, midmost, foremost, hindmost, utmost, are doubly superlative. 84. The words nethermost, uppermost, uttermost, undermost, outermost, and innermost, are trebly superlative. These last two statements require explanation. The common statement concerning words like utmost is, that they are compound words, formed by the addition of the word most; this, however, is more than doubtful; inasmuch as the Anglo-Saxon language presents us with the following forms: --Anglo-Saxon. English, innema (inn-ema) inmost utema (ut-ema) outmost siSema (si5-ema) latest laetema...