Adverb Comparative Superlative

Degrees Of Comparison

Adverbs whose meaning admits of degrees of comparison derive them by means of the same suffixes that are used as degrees of comparison of adjectives, viz., -r for the comparative, and -st for the superlative. These suffixes are preceded by the vowel -o-:

Adverb Comparative Superlative

wide 'widely' widor widest

Some adverbs derive their comparative without any suffix, by means of mutation of the root vowel the adverb is the part of speech that functions as an adverbial modifier.

The mutation is apparently due to the fact that originally the comparative was derived by means of the suffix -r, preceded by the vowel -i. This vowel caused mutation and disappeared, the - r disap­peared, too.

A few adverbs, corresponding to adjectives with suppletive de­grees of comparison, also derive their degrees of comparison by the suppletive method:

wel 'well' betre best

yfele 'badly' wiers, wyrs wierst, wyrst

micele 'much' mare mæst

lytle 'little' læsse læst

There are simple and derived adverbs in Old English. Simple adverbs are unchangeable. Here belong:adverbs of place: h\vser (where), cfser (there), hwonan (from where)and danon (from there, thence);adverbs of time: hwanne, hwan, hwon (when), cfanne, cfonne, cfeonne (then), 0a (then);adverbs of manner: hwsecfre (though, however), hwon (a little), 9ser-bi (thereby, by that means), cfser-asfter (thereafter, from that time).These adverbs may also be used in the sentence as sentenceconnectives, in the function of conjunctive adverbs.Derivative adverbs are formed from the adjectives by means of thesuffix -e:

wid - wide (wide - widely)

heard - hearde (hard)

In/He - luflice (lovingly, fondly)

frwndllc - freondUce (friendly)

socfHc - socSUce (truly)

Adverbs may also be formed by lexicalization of the genitive or the dative case of the noun

hwil - hwilum (from time to time, at times);

willa - \villes (willingly)

Adverbs that have degrees of comparison form them in the same way as adjectives, that is by adding the suffix -or/ra and -ost/est:

neah - nearra - niehst (near)

ggr - serra - srest (early)

feor - furSra - fyrest (far)

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