Elementary Arabic Morphology 2

The Comparative and Superlative Noun

118. What are comparative and superlative nouns?

119. What are comparative and superlative nouns formed from?

120. What verbs are not formed into comparative and superlative nouns?

121. Why are comparative and superlative nouns not formed from triliteral verbs that indicate color, defect or trickery?

122. What do we do if we want to use the comparative or superlative form from a verb that is not put into the comparative or superlative tense?

123. The comparative and superlative noun is a form which changes an adjective to indicate a comparison between one thing and another. An example of an adjective is: یوسفُ کبیرٌ (Joseph is big.) An example of a comparative is: یوسفُ أکبرُ من إبراهیمَ (Joseph is bigger than Abraham.)

124. The comparative and superlative are only formed from triliteral active verbs and always are put in the form أفعل. For example: کَرُمَ (which is a active verb) becomes أکرَم (more generous) and ضُرِبَ (which is a passive verb) is not put into the comparative or superlative form.

125. Triliteral active verbs which indicate color, defect or trickery as well as any verb that has more than three letters are not put into the comparative or superlative forms.

126. The reason that triliteral active verbs which indicate color, defect or trickery are not formed into the comparative and superlative forms is because the form أفعل for these verbs is used as an adjective. For example: سَوِدَ (to make black) becomes أسوَد (black) and عَوِرَ (to loose an eye) becomes أعوَر (one-eyed).

127. If we want to use the comparative or superlative form from a verb that is not put into the comparative or superlative tense we must use one of the words أشد (more severe), أکثر (more) أوفر (more abundant) or أکبر (larger) and then add the infinitive of the verb in the accusative form (because it is a specificative). For example: سَوِدَ becomes أشَدُّ سَواداً (blacker) or عَوِرَ becomes أکثرُ عَوَراً (more one-eyed).