Superlative
Superlatives are identical to comparatives, but have only one noun argument. All superlatives include the same verb moj ‘to be a lot’.
In the case of the adjective ‘good’ specifically, the lexical-content adjective can even be omitted, and moʄ can alone put across the meaning of superlative goodness:
(1)
okiin omoʄu xe wiin moʄu we okiin omoʄu faax xe wiin moʄu we mbaax ‘the best person’ 'the best people'
(2)
okiin oxe moʄ na wiin we moʄ na okiin oxe moʄ na faax wiin we moʄ na mbaax ‘the person that is best’ 'the people that are best'
The adverbial superlative precedes the adjective it modifies, and remains close to it without any intervening words or constituents.
The superlative verb, as can be seen above, can predicate of the noun phrase complex as a whole when the relativizing strategy is used, or can be embedded within it when the -u modification is used.
pis dik ke [moʄ na ñof] ‘the two horses [that are fastest]’
omoon ole [moʄ na meɗ] ‘the bottle [that is heaviest]’
pis ɗik [moʄu ñof] ke 'the two [fastest] horses'
With -u modification there is flexibility in the positioning of the moʄ-adverb, but this changes the reading to a predicational clause:
pis keek moʄu ñof 'These are the fastest horses.'
Superlatives in Wh-interrogatives
In which-questions, since there is no change in word order, the same ordering of adverb-adjective and positioning of the determiner still hold in questions:
tew oxum moʄu jigit ‘Which girl is the tallest?’
oxum refu otew oxe moʄ na njigit anrefu otew (o)xe moʄ na njigit ‘which is the tallest girl?’
an na den moʄu jigit 'Which of them is the tallest?’
oxum refu oxe moʄ na njool 'Which is the tallest of them?'
an moʄu jool who is the tallest?
an refu (o)xe moʄ na jool 'Which of them is the one that is tallest?'
otew oxum moʄu jool/jigit a Jegan 'Which girl is taller than Jegan?'
Go back to: Degrees of Comparison
Oana 23:54, 7 December 2012 (UTC)
