Re: I came in late.

Thanks, Mathias.  I was going to write that as I understood it, not
all languages have distinct comparative *forms*, but they can always
accomplish the semantic task of comparing things.  You've given a
perfect illustration of how that works.

(I believe I remember reading in Winifred Lehmann's book on
proto-indo-european that strongly OV languages, e.g. Japanese, tend
not to have comparative/superlative forms, but rather to use devices
like the ones you mention.)


Ed Heil ------------------------------- edheil@postmark.net
"Facts are meaningless! You can use facts to prove anything
   that's even _remotely_ true!"           -- Homer Simpson

From Http://Members.Aol.Com/Lassailly/Tunuframe.Html wrote:

> Dans un courrier dat=E9 du 24/07/99 15:19:23  , boudewijn a =E9crit :
>=20
> > > Hi, all,
> >  >
> >  > I came in late.    Do all languages with adjectives allow the
comparison=20
> > of
> >  > attributive adjectives?
> >  >
> >  > Thanks to any and all who reply,
> >  >
> >  > Jim
> >  >
> > =20
> >  I've been looking around for information, but I couldn't find anythi=
ng
> >  directly relating to this. Somewhere in the attics of my mind hovers=
 a
> >  quote about some C19 Englishman who dismissed 'primitive' languages =
for
> >  not having comparatives, but that's all. I should try and do an anal=
ysis
> >  of all the grammars I've got at home to find if there are any
exceptions,
> >  but short of that, I've got to admit that I don't know ;-).
> > =20
>=20
> stop that japanese bashing now !!
> they are not primitive.
> they quit several years ago.
> seriously, i do agree that field work is lacking somehow ;-)
>=20
> when no comparative form is needed,
> it's because the adjective is comparative per se.
> in IE  they are absolutive per se (the other way round).
>=20
> examples :
>=20
> engl :
> which one is bigger ?
> this one is bigger.
> jap :
> this and that : which one is big ?
> this one is big.
>=20
>=20
> engl :
> he is taller than she is.
> jap :
> he is tall depending_on-her.
> (kare wa kanojo-yori sagatakai)
>=20
> very strange : logically "compared-to" is not
> needed since "segatakai" is already comparative.
> but that's life.
>=20
> jap doesn't have superlative either :
>=20
> english :
> he is the tallest (taller) :
> jap :
> he is number-one tall.
> (kare wa ichiban segatakai)
>=20
> talking of fieldwork, i never felt any problem
> with that (actually i feel comparative adjective an odd
> duck in my natural predicate-argumentivalistical(est) trend) :
>=20
> he eats more than she does :
> he eats a lot compared-to she (her eating)
>=20
> he is more of a hero than she is
> he is a hero a lot compared-to he (his being)
>=20
> he eats more pizza than i do :
> he eats pizza a lot compared to my eating.
>=20
> etc.
>=20
> or maybe i missed the point of the question.=20
> nevermind.
>=20
> mathias
>=20