III. Oe Adjectives. Declension.

Forms of the OE adjectives express the categories of gender, (mascu-

line, feminine, neuter), number (singular and plural) and case (nominative, genitive, dative, accusative and, partly, instructive).

Every adjective can be declined according to the strong and the weak declension. Most adjectives are declined as a-stems for the masculine and neu­ter gender and as o-stems for the feminine.

Monosyllabic adjectives with a short root syllable take in the nomina­tive singular feminine and in the nominative and accusative plural neuter the ending - u; those with a long root syllable have no ending at all in these forms; - a -, - o - stems.

Masculine Neuter Feminine

Nom. Gen. Dat. Acc. Intrr.

blæc(black) blac-es blac-um blæc –ne blac-e

blæc blac-es blac-um blæc blac-e

blac-u blæc –re blæc –re blac-e -

Plural

Nom. Gen.	blac-e blac-ka	blac-u blac-ra	blac-a blac-ra
Dat. Acc.	blac-um blac-e	blac-um blac-u	blac-um blac-a

Weak declension corresponded to nouns with n-stem,excepi Genetive

case plural: - ra - instead of - na -;

N. G. D. A.

nama(n.n.) naman naman naman

zōd zōdan zōdan zōdan

N. G. D. A.

naman namena namun naman

zodan zodra zodum zodan

IV. Degrees of Comparison.

The degrees of comparison were formed by means of suffix - ra - (re)

for comparative degree and suffix -ost (est) for superlative degree.

Suffix - ra - in Old Germanic – iza, oza

- ost - in Old Germanic – ist, ost.

OE suffix - ra was changed into - re.Later ending - e – was lost. But it was necessary to introduce a vowel sound lol between the stem and suffix - r. This way the suffix - er - was formed.

hard - harder - hardest.

But along with the correct forms of adjectives there were forms with a

changed root vowel.

In adjectives with suffix - iza, ist - the root vowel had the influence of mutation, that is,the root vowel of positive degree is not the same as the vowel of comparative and saperlative degree.

Ex - eald - eildra - eildest (old)

long - lengra - lengest (long)

strong - strenga - strengest (strong)

In adjectives with-oza, ost-no changes of vowels;

heard - heardra - heardost (hard)

hwat-hwatra-hwatost

In some cases the old form was separated, because it formed a new word

elder - eldest ≠ old - older – oldest

latter - last - late ≠ later- latest

Some adjectives had suppletive forms of comparison

OE Ex. zod micel ltel

-betera- bettra māra tssa

betst mæst læst

ME good-better-best micel (muchel) more-most-most litel-lesse-lest

In OE there were combinations of adjective with "mara", "mast". These combinations were widely used in ME, There were even combinations

of "more,"most" with comparative forms:

In Shakespare:

Ex. more better, this was most unkindest

In the 17 c, the use "more" and "most" began to depend on number of syllables. The grammatists of the 18 th c, objected to have "more" and

"most" with the comparative forms. Such forms were considered to be incorrect.

Seminar 8

EVOLUTION OF THE PRONOUNS AND ADJECTIVES IN OLD ENGLISH, MIDDLE ENGLISH AND NEW ENGLISH PERIODS.

1. Declension of O.E. Personal Pronouns.

2. Declension of O.E. Demonstrative Pronouns.

3. Declension of O.E. Possessive Pronouns.

4. O.E. interrogative Pronouns.

5. M.E. Pronouns.

6. O.E. Adjectives. Degree of Comparison, in O.E. and M.E. period.