Re: I came in late.

Dans un courrier dat=E9 du 24/07/99 15:19:23  , boudewijn a =E9crit :

> > Hi, all,
>  >
>  > I came in late.    Do all languages with adjectives allow the compariso=
n=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 anything
>  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 analysis
>  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
stop that japanese bashing now !!
they are not primitive.
they quit several years ago.
seriously, i do agree that field work is lacking somehow ;-)

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).

examples :

engl :
which one is bigger ?
this one is bigger.
jap :
this and that : which one is big ?
this one is big.


engl :
he is taller than she is.
jap :
he is tall depending_on-her.
(kare wa kanojo-yori sagatakai)

very strange : logically "compared-to" is not
needed since "segatakai" is already comparative.
but that's life.

jap doesn't have superlative either :

english :
he is the tallest (taller) :
jap :
he is number-one tall.
(kare wa ichiban segatakai)

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) :

he eats more than she does :
he eats a lot compared-to she (her eating)

he is more of a hero than she is
he is a hero a lot compared-to he (his being)

he eats more pizza than i do :
he eats pizza a lot compared to my eating.

etc.

or maybe i missed the point of the question.=20
nevermind.

mathias