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There is a difference between comparative superlative and absolute superlative: Ella es la más bella → (she is the most beautiful); Ella es bellísima → (she is extremely beautiful). Portuguese and Italian distinguish comparative superlative (superlativo relativo) and absolute superlative (superlativo absoluto/assoluto) .
Similarly, colour terms marked as plural (e.g., the reds in the painting) are nouns while those marked as comparative (e.g., redder) or superlative (e.g., reddest) are adjectives. However, the categorization of colour terms is less clear in cases like The foliage emerged, becoming deep green as the summer unfolds.
Consequently, comparative and superlative forms of such adjectives are not normally used, except in a figurative, humorous or imprecise context. Similarly, such adjectives are not normally qualified with modifiers of degree such as very and fairly , although with some of them it is idiomatic to use adverbs such as completely .
Examples of the comparative that do not allow an analysis in terms of coordination (because the necessary parallel structures are not present) are instances of comparative subordination. [3] In such cases, than has the status of a preposition or a subordinator (subordinate conjunction), e.g. a. We invited more people than wanted to come. b.
Superlatives align with Platonic ideals, representing ultimate forms or states. Aristotle’s "highest good" emphasizes superlatives as tools for ethical and teleological discussions. Ontological Implications: Superlatives imply the existence of maxima or minima, raising questions about absolutes versus relativities.
Comparatives and superlatives in compound adjectives also take hyphens: "the highest-placed competitor" "a shorter-term loan" However, a construction with most is not hyphenated: "the most respected member". Compounds including two geographical modifiers: "Anglo-Indian" But not "Central American", which refers to people from a specific ...
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Instead of 'the greatest of the gods', people said 'great of (=among) the gods'. Still, two suffixes have been reconstructed that have superlative meaning in daughter languages: one is *-m̥mo-or *-m̥h₂o-, the other *-isto-or *-isth₂o-, composed of the zero grade of the comparative suffix plus an additional syllable. They are ...