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Page:A simplified grammar of the Swedish language.djvu/38

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SWEDISH GRAMMAR.


positive. comparative. superlative.
god, good, bättre, bäst.
liten, small, mindre, minst.
mycken, much, mera, mest.
elak or ond, bad, värre, värst.
gammal, old, äldre, äldst.

Some are defective, having either no positive, or neither positive nor comparative, especially where the word is derived from a preposition or adverb; as, främre (comp.), 'more forward,' främst, 'most forward' (fram, prep., 'forth, onward'); yttre (comp.), 'outer,' ytterst (super.), 'outermost' (ut, adv., 'out').

Some adjectives from their meaning do not admit of comparison; as, död, 'dead;' stum, 'mute.'

The adverb desto, 'the,' 'so much the,' is often used to give additional force to the comparative, as desto bättre, 'the better.' The particle-adjectives aller, allra, 'all,' give a similarly heightened form to the superlative, as allerbäst, allrabäst, 'the very best.'

ADVERBS. (Omständighetsord.)


Many Swedish adverbs are identical with the neuter of the corresponding adjective, as tungt, 'heavily,' from tung, m., f., tungt, n., 'heavy.' In such cases they follow the same rules of comparison as the corresponding adjective; as, tyngre, 'more heavily;' tyngst, 'most heavily.'