The Development of the Adjective in germanic languages

The Development of the Adjective in germanic languages

Polvonova Muxlisa 210 group

System of Declensions of adjectives

• The system of declension was inherited from PG. Adjectives had two declensions that had to do also with the category of determination – strong (definite) and weak (indefinite) – and unlike nouns practically all adjectives could be declined both ways (by strong and weak declension). So an adjective did not belong to a particular declension, its declension depended on several factors.

BUT:

• some adjectives were declined always strong e.x. (all), (many), (other), others –always weak (same)

Number

• There were some homonymous forms in Singular and Plural in both declensions e.g. -um (OE) – N, Sg, Dat, strong; N, Pl, Dat, strong; -e (ME) – N, Sg, weak; N, Pl, weak), so the category of Number disappeared together with the system of declensions.The Adjective lost many of its categories in ME as far as all the inflections were lost. Thus it became an unchangeable part of speech.

Degrees of Comparison

• Root-sound interchange fell into disuse (long – longer – longest), though in some cases it was preserved as an exception from the rule (e.g. old – elder – eldest; far – further – furthest);

A new way of formation of the degrees of comparison appeared:more + Adj (comparative) || most + Adj (superlative)It was applicable to all adjectives and was interchangeable with -er, -est way of formation till 17th – 18th c. In NE, during the Normalisation Period, the modern rule appeared and this way was applicable only to a certain group of adjectives.

• A new way of formation of the degrees of comparison appeared:more + Adj (comparative) || most + Adj (superlative)It was applicable to all adjectives and was interchangeable with -er, -est way of formation till 17th – 18th c. In NE, during the Normalisation Period, the modern rule appeared and this way was applicable only to a certain group of adjectives.