Page:A Danish and Dano-Norwegian grammar.djvu/103

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ETYMOLOGY.
89

The adjective (and adv.) nær near forms its comparative and superlative by adding -mere, -mest: nærmere nærmest. In the same manner the adj. fjern far in Danish forms the comp. fjærmer, but only in the meaning of the off (horse).

186. The following comparatives and superlatives have no corresponding adjectives as positive (but there are corresponding adverbs):

(nede–down) nedre–lower nederst.
(oven–above) övre–upper överst.
(ude–without) ydre–outer yderst (N. also pr. ytterst).
(bag–behind) N. bagre–hind bagerst–hindmost.
(inde–within) indre–inner inderst.
(midt–middle) midtre midterst.
(frem–forward) fremmere (or fremre) fremmest (or fremst).

The following adjectives occur only in the comparative: nordre northern, söndre southern, östre eastern, vestre western.

In the superlative alone occur: næst next, först first, forrest foremost, sidst last, ypperst supreme, mellemst middle.

187. The following adjectives do not form any comparative and superlative. To denote the comparative and superlative meaning mere more and mest most are placed before the positive:

1) Most adjectives derived in -sk (-isk) -en and -et: mere krigersk more warlike, mest morderisk most murderous. (But friskere fresher, raskere quicker, hadskere more rancorous, glubskere more ferocious, harskere more rancid.) Vaagen–awake, mere vaagen, mest vaagen. (But modnere more mature.) 2) Adjectives ending in -es or -s with preceding consonant: mere, mest afsides, more, most out-of-the way; mere, mest gjængs, more, most current; also mere fremmed most strange. 3) Participles: mere forslaaet more beaten, et