CHAPTER X
§ 136. Adjectives are declined as strong or weak. They have three genders, and the same cases as nouns. The endings of the strong declension are partly nominal and partly pronominal (the latter are given in italics). The nominal endings are those of the a- and o-declension. The strong declension is divided into pure a-, ō-stems, ja-, jō-stems, and wa-, wō-stems, like the corresponding nouns.
§ 137. Masc. Neut. Fem.
|
Sing. |
Nom. |
blintēr, blind |
blintaž |
blintiu |
|
|
Acc. |
blintan |
blintaž |
blinta |
|
|
Gen. |
blintes |
blintes |
blintera |
|
|
Dat. |
blintemu, -emo |
blintemu, -emo |
blinteru, -ero |
|
|
Instr. |
blintu, -o |
blintu, -o |
|
|
Plur. |
Nom. |
blinte |
blintiu |
blinto |
|
|
Acc. |
blinte |
blintiu |
blinto |
|
|
Gen. |
blintero |
blintero |
blintero |
|
|
Dat. |
blintēm, ēn |
blintēm, ēn |
blintēm, ēn |
Note.—1. The nom. case sg. and pl., all genders, has often an un-inflected form, so also the acc. sg. neut, as blint. This remark applies to all adjectives of the strong declension. See § 310.
2. The nom. sg. fem. and the nom., acc. pl. neut. frequently end in -u (blintu) in Upper Franconian.
3. Adjectives ending in -al, -ar, -an with long stems sometimes drop the a before a vocalic ending, as bittar, bitter, gen. bittres. See § 59.
§ 138. Like blint are declined all adjectives whose uninflected form ends in a consonant, as guot, good, alt, old, jung, young, guldīn, golden, mathīg, mighty, erdlīh, earthly, &c.
§ 139. The ja-, jō-stems differ from the pure a-, ō-stems in the uninflected form only, which regularly ends in –i.
§ 140. Sing.
|
|
Masc. |
Neut. |
Fem. |
|
Nom. |
scōnēr,
beautiful |
scōnaž |
scōniu |
|
Acc. |
scōnan |
scōnaž |
scōna |
|
|
&c. |
&c. |
&c. |
§ 141. Like scōni are declined all adjectives whose uninflected form ends in -i, also all present participles; as festi, fast, māri, renowned, tiuri, dear, biderbi, useful, bëranti, bearing, &c.
§ 142. This class differs from the pure a-, ō-class in the uninflected form only. Those adjectives whose uninflected form ends in -o preceded by a consonant usually develop an a (seldom e, o) between the consonant and the w in the inflected forms. See § 63.
§ 143. Sing.
|
|
Masc. |
Neut. |
Fem. |
|
Nom. |
gar(a)wēr,
ready garwēr |
gar(a)waž garwaž |
garwiu garwiu |
|
Nom. |
fawēr,
little |
fawaž |
fawiu |
|
|
&c. |
&c. |
&c. |
§ 144. To this class belong garo, ready; gëlo, yellow;
zëso, right, dexter; fao, fō, little; slēo, slē, dull; frao, frō, glad, joyful, rao, rō, raw. See § 90.
§ 146. The weak declension of adjectives agrees exactly with that of the nouns.
Sing.
|
|
Masc. |
Neut. |
Fem. |
|
Nom. |
blinto |
blinta |
blinta |
|
Acc. |
blinton, -un |
blinta |
blintūn |
|
Gen. Dat. |
blinten, -in |
blinten, -in |
blintūn |
Plur.
|
|
Masc. |
Neut. |
Fem. |
|
Nom. Acc. |
blinton, -un |
blintun, -on |
blintūn |
|
Gen. |
blintōno |
blintōno |
blintōno |
|
Dat. |
blintōm, -ōn |
blintōm, -ōn |
blintōm, -ōn |
§ 146. In the same manner are declined the weak forms of the ja-, jō- and wa-, wō-stems, thus:
Sing.
|
|
Masc. |
Neut. |
Fem. |
|
Nom. |
scōno |
scōna |
scōna |
|
|
gar(a)wo |
gar(a)wa |
gar(a)wa |
|
|
&c. |
&c. |
&c. |
§ 147. The present participle has both the strong and the weak declension. In the former case it is declined like a ja-, jō-stem, and in the latter case like blinto. Thus un-inflected form nëmanti, faking, salbōnti, anointing, habēnti, having.
Strong
Sing.
|
|
Masc. |
Neut. |
Fem. |
|
Nom. |
nëmantēr |
nëmantaž |
nëmantiu |
|
|
salbōntēr |
salbōntaž |
salbōntiu |
|
|
&c. |
&c. |
&c. |
Weak
Sing.
|
|
Masc. |
Neut. |
Fem. |
|
Nom. |
nëmanto |
nëmanta |
nëmanta |
|
|
salbōnto |
salbōnta |
salbōnta |
|
|
&c. |
&c. |
&c. |
§ 148. The past participle, like the present, has both the strong and the weak declension. The uninflected form of strong verbs ends in -an, as ginoman, taken, giritan, ridden; that of the weak verbs ends in -t, as gihabēt, had, gisalbōt, anointed.
Strong
Sing.
|
|
Masc. |
Neut. |
Fem. |
|
Nom. |
ginomanēr |
ginomanaž |
ginomaniu |
|
|
gihabētēr |
gihabētaž |
gihabētiu |
|
|
&c. |
&c. |
&c. |
Note.—In Franconian monuments the suffix -an occasionally appears as -on, en, or -in in the inflected forms.
Weak
Sing.
|
|
Masc. |
Neut. |
Fem. |
|
Nom. |
ginomano |
ginomana |
ginomana |
|
|
gihabēto |
gihabēta |
gihabēta |
|
|
&c. |
&c. |
&c. |
§ 149. The comparative is formed by means of the two suffixes -ir- (=Gothic -iz-) and -ōr- (=Gothic -ōz-), to which are then added the endings of weak adjectives. Polysyllabic adjectives formed with derivative suffixes and compound adjectives take the suffix -ōr-; ja-, jō-stems the suffix -ir-; uncompounded pure a-, ō-stems sometimes take the one, sometimes the other suffix, thus :—
|
Positive |
Comparative |
|
sālīg, blessed |
sālīgōro |
|
tiurlīh, dear |
tiurlīhhōro |
|
engi, narrow |
engiro |
|
suoži, sweet |
suožiro |
|
lang, long |
lengiro |
|
hōh, high |
hōhiro, hōhōro |
Note.—The ending -iro is sometimes weakened to -ero in Franconian monuments. Beside jungiro, the ordinary comp. of jung, young appear jungoro and jūgiro; with the latter form cp. Gothic positive juggs = *jungs, comparative jūhiza.
§ 150. The Superlative is formed by means of the two suffixes -ist- (=Gothic -ist-) and -ōst- (= Gothic -ōst-), to which are then added the endings of weak adjectives. Adjectives which have -iro in the comparative have -isto in the superlative, and those which have -ōro in the comp. have -ōsto in the superlative, thus sāligōsto, tiurlīhhōsto, engisto, suožisto, lengisto, hōhisto, hōhōsto.
§ 151. The following adjectives form their comparatives and superlatives from a different root than the positive :—
guot, good comp. bežžiro superl. be^zisto
ubil, bad „ wirsiro „ wirsisto
mihhil, great „ mēro „ meisto
luzzil, little „ minniro ,, minnisto.
Note.—l. Beside the regular form mēro (=Gothic máiza) occur in Alemanic the forms mēriro, mērōro, which are double comparatives like Mod. Eng. nearer.
2. ležžisto, last, is defective.
§ 152. In a few cases the comparative and superlative are formed from an adverb or preposition, as in Latin.
|
Pos. |
Comp. |
Superl. |
|
after, after |
aftro, aftaro, -ero |
aftrōsto afterōsto aftristo |
|
ēr, formerly |
ēriro |
ēristo |
|
fora, furi, before |
furiro |
furisto |
|
furdir, forwards |
fordro fordaro, -oro |
fordarōsto |
|
hintar, behind |
hintaro |
hintarōsto |
|
inne, within |
innaro |
innarōsto |
|
oba, above |
obaro, oboro |
obarōsto |
|
untar, down |
untaro |
untarōsto |
|
ūž,
ūžar, outside |
ūžaro |
ūžarōsto. |
Note.—Beside the regular forms obaro, &c., the Alemanic diale frequently has forms with double comparative endings, as obarōro, &c cp. mēriro, mērōro.
§ 153. 1. By simply adding -o to the uninflected form the adjective when it ends in a consonant, thus:—
adj. mahtīg, mighty adv. mahtīgo
„ ubil, bad „ ubilo
„ tiurlīh, dear „ tiurlīho.
2. Adjectives ending in -i (ja-, jō-stems) drop the -i before the adverbial ending -o; and those containing a mutated st? vowel do not have it in the adverbs, thus:
adj. scōni, beautiful adv. scōno
„ tiuri, dear „ tiuro
„ festi, fast „ fasto
„ semfti, soft „ samfto
§ 154. The comparative degree of adverbs ends in (never -ir); the superlative mostly ends in -ōst, but sometimes also in -ist, thus:—
Adj. lang, long ; adv. comp. langōr superl. langōst
„ festi, fast; „ „ fastōr „ fastōst
„ jung, young „ „ „ jungist
§ 155. The following are irregular :—
|
wola, well |
comp. baž |
superl. bežžist |
|
|
„ wirs, worse |
„ wirsist |
|
|
„ mēr, more |
„ meist |
|
|
„ min, less |
„ minnist |
Note.—Beside mer, meist occur the weak neuter adj. forms mēra meista as adverbs.
|
Cardinal |
Ordinal |
|
|
ein, one |
ēristo, furisto |
|
|
zwei, two |
ander |
|
|
drī, three |
dritto |
|
|
feor, fior, four |
feordo, fiordo |
|
|
fimf, finf, five |
fimfto, finfto |
|
|
sëhs, six |
sëhsto |
|
|
sibun, seven |
sibunto |
|
|
ahto, eight |
ahtodo |
|
|
niun, nine |
niunto |
|
|
zëhan, zëhen, ten |
zëhanto |
|
|
einlif, eleven |
einlifto |
|
|
zwelif, twelve |
zwelifto |
|
|
drīzëhan, thirteen |
drittozëhanto |
|
|
fiorzëhan, fourteen |
fiordozëhanto |
|
|
finfzëhan, fifteen |
finftazëhanto |
|
|
sëhszëhan, sixteen |
sëhstazëhanto |
|
|
*sibunzëhan, seventeen |
sibuntozëhanto |
|
|
ahtozëhan, eighteen |
ahtodazëhanto |
|
|
niunzëhan, nineteen |
niuntozëhanto |
|
|
zweinzug, twenty |
zweinzugōsto |
|
|
drīžžug,
drīžug, thirty |
drīžugōsto |
|
|
fiorzug, forty |
fiorzugōsto |
|
|
finfzug, fifty |
finfzugōsto |
|
|
sëhszug, sixty |
sëhszugōsto |
|
|
sibunzug, seventy |
sibunzugōsto |
|
|
ahtozug, eighty |
ahtozugōsto |
|
|
niunzug, ninety |
niunzugōsto |
|
|
zëhanzug, hunt, |
hundred |
zëhanzugōsto |
|
zwei hunt, two
hundred |
|
|
|
thūsunt, dūsunt, |
thousand |
|
§ 156. The first three cardinal numerals are declinable in all cases and genders.
1. ein follows the strong declension, when used as a numeral, § 137. When ein is used in the sense of alone, it follows the weak declension.
2. Masc. Neut. Fem.
|
Nom. Acc. |
zwēne |
zwei |
zwā (zwō) |
|
Gen. |
zweio |
zweio |
zweio |
|
Dat. |
zweim, zwein |
zweim, zwein |
zweim, zwein |
3.
Masc. Neut. Fem.
|
Nom. Acc. |
drī |
driu |
drīo |
|
Gen. |
drīo |
drīo |
drīo |
|
Dat. |
drim, drin |
drim, drin |
drim, drin |
§ 157. The cardinal numerals 4-12 remain uninflected when they stand before a noun, whereas, if they stand after a noun or are used as nouns, they are declined according to the i-declension. The neut., nom. and acc., has the adjectival ending.
|
Masc. Fem. |
Neut. |
|
|
Nom. Acc. |
-i |
-iu; -u |
|
Gen. |
-eo, -o |
-eo, -o |
|
Dat. |
-im, -in |
-im, -in |
§ 158. The cardinal numerals 20-100 ending in -zug = OE. -tig, Gothic tigus, decade, are followed by the genitive. dūsunt, thūsunt is mostly treated as a fern. substantive, but sometimes also as a neuter.
§ 159. ander, second, inflected form anderēr, -až, -iu, follows the strong declension, the remaining ordinal numerals follow the weak declension.
§ 160. 1. Distributive numerals, as einluzze, one by one, zwiske, two by two.
2. Multiplicatives, as einfalt (falt = OE. -feald), zwifalt, &c.
3. Numeral adverbs, as eines, gen. sg., once; zwiro, zwiror, zwiron, twice ; driror, thrice. The higher numbers, as also sometimes those given above, are formed by means of prefixing the cardinal numbers to stunt, times, thus, sibunstunt, seven times.