Pronoun. Adjective. Numerals. Adverb. (6th lectures) Adjectives

Adjectives in Old English are declined using the same categories as nouns: five cases (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative, and instrumental), three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter), and two numbers (singular, plural). In addition, they can be declined either strong or weak. The weak forms are used in the presence of a definite or possessive determiner, while the strong ones are used in other situations. The weak forms are identical to those for nouns, while the strong forms use a combination of noun and pronoun endings:

The Strong Adjective Declension
Case	Masculine		Neuter		Feminine
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	–	-e	–	-u/–	-u/–	-e, -a
Accusative	-ne	-e	–	-u/–	-e	-e, -a
Genitive	-es	-ra	-es	-ra	-re	-ra
Dative	-um	-um	-um	-um	-re	-um
Instrumental	-e	-um	-e	-um	-re	-um

For the '-u/–' forms above, the distinction is the same as for strong nouns.

Example of the Strong Adjective Declension: gōd 'good'
Case	Masculine		Neuter		Feminine
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	gōd	gōde	gōd	gōd	gōd	gōde, -a
Accusative	gōdne	gōde	gōd	gōd	gōde	gōde, -a
Genitive	gōdes	gōdra	gōdes	gōdra	gōdre	gōdra
Dative	gōdum	gōdum	gōdum	gōdum	gōdre	gōdum
Instrumental	gōde	gōdum	gōde	gōdum	gōdre	gōdum

Example of the Weak Adjective Declension: gōd 'good'
Case	Masculine			Neuter			Feminine
	Singular	Plural	Singular		Plural	Singular		Plural
Nominative	gōda	gōdan	gōde		gōdan	gōde		gōdan
Accusative	gōdan	gōdan	gōde		gōdan	gōdan		gōdan
Genitive	gōdan	gōdena	gōdan		gōdena	gōdan		gōdena
Dative	gōdan	gōdum	gōdan		gōdum	gōdan		gōdum
Instrumental	gōdan	gōdum	gōdan		gōdum	gōdan		gōdum

Note that the same variants described above for nouns also exist for adjectives. The following example shows both the æ/a variation and the -u forms in the feminine singular and neuter plural:

Example of the Strong Adjective Declension: glæd 'glad'
Case	Masculine		Neuter		Feminine
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	glæd	glade	glæd	gladu	gladu	glade
Accusative	glædne	glade	glæd	gladu	glade	glade
Genitive	glades	glædra	glades	glædra	glædre	glædra
Dative	gladum	gladum	gladum	gladum	glædre	gladum
Instrumental	glade	gladum	glade	gladum	glædre	gladum

The following shows an example of an adjective ending with -h:

Example of the Strong Adjective Declension: hēah 'high'
Case	Masculine		Neuter		Feminine
	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural	Singular	Plural
Nominative	hēah	hēa	hēah	hēa	hēa	hēa
Accusative	hēane	hēa	hēah	hēa	hēa	hēa
Genitive	hēas	hēara	hēas	hēara	hēare	hēara
Dative	hēam	hēam	hēam	hēam	hēare	hēam
Instrumental	hēa	hēam	hēa	hēam	hēare	hēam

The following shows an example of an adjective ending with -w:

Example of the Strong Adjective Declension: gearu 'ready'
Case	Masculine			Neuter			Feminine
	Singular	Plural	Singular		Plural	Singular		Plural
Nominative	gearu	gearwe	gearu		gearu	gearu		gearwe
Accusative	gearone	gearwe	gearu		gearu	gearwe		gearwe
Genitive	gearwes	gearora	gearwes		gearora	gearore		gearora
Dative	gearwum	gearwum	gearwum		gearwum	gearore		gearwum
Instrumental	gearwe	gearwum	gearwe		gearwum	gearore		gearwum

ME: In this period the paradigm of an adjective is simplified drastically. So, main changes: greatest inflectional losses; totally uninflected by end of ME period; loss of case, gender, and number distinctions

distinction strong/weak lost; causes in loss of unstressed endings, rising use of definite and indefinite articles

comparative OE -ra > ME -re, then -er (by metathesis), superlative OE -ost, -est > ME -est; beginnings of periphrastic comparison (French influence): swetter/more swete, more swetter, moste clennest; more and moste as intensifiers