CHAPTER III.
SYNTAX OF ADJECTIVES.
[§ 430]. Pleonasm.—Pleonasm can take place with adjectives only in the expression of the degrees of comparison. Over and above the etymological signs of the comparative and superlative degrees, there may be used the superlative words more and most.
And this pleonasm really occurs—
The more serener spirit.
The most straitest sect.
These are instances of pleonasm in the strictest sense of the term.
[§ 431]. Collocation.—As a general rule, the adjective precedes the substantive—a good man, not a man good.
When, however, the adjective is qualified by either the expression of its degree, or accompanied by another adjective, it may follow the substantive—
A man just and good.
A woman wise and fair.
A hero devoted to his country.
A patriot disinterested to a great degree.
Single simple adjectives thus placed after their substantive, belong to the poetry of England, and especially to the ballad poetry—sighs profound—the leaves green.
[§ 432]. Government.—The only adjective that governs a case, is the word like. In the expression, this is like
him, &c., the original power of the dative remains. This we infer—
1. From the fact that in most languages which have inflections to a sufficient extent, the word meaning like governs a dative case.
2. That if ever we use in English any preposition at all to express similitude, it is the preposition to—like to me, like to death, &c.
Expressions like full of meat, good for John, are by no means instances of the government of adjectives; the really governing words being the prepositions to and for respectively.
[§ 433]. The positive degree preceded by the adjective more, is equivalent to the comparative form—e.g., more wise = wiser.
The reasons for employing one expression in preference to the other, depend upon the nature of the particular word used.
When the word is at one and the same time of Anglo-Saxon origin and monosyllabic, there is no doubt about the preference to be given to the form in -er. Thus, wis-er is preferable to more wise.
When, however, the word is compound, or trisyllabic, the combination with the word more, is preferable.
| more fruitful | fruitfuller. |
| more villainous | villainouser. |
Between these two extremes there are several intermediate forms, wherein the use of one rather than another will depend upon the taste of the writer. The question, however, is a question of euphony, rather than of aught else. It is also illustrated by the principle of not multiplying secondary elements. In such a word as fruit-full-er, there are two additions to the root. The same is the case with the superlative, fruit-full-est.
[§ 434]. In the Chapter on the Comparative Degree is indicated a refinement upon the current notions as to the power of the comparative degree, and reasons are given for believing that the fundamental notion expressed by the comparative inflexion is the idea of comparison or contrast between two objects.
In this case, it is better in speaking of only two objects to use the comparative degree rather than the superlative—even when we use the definite article the. Thus—
This is the better of the two
is preferable to
This is the best of the two.
This principle is capable of an application more extensive than our habits of speaking and writing will verify. Thus to go to other parts of speech, we should logically say—
Whether of the two,
rather than
Which of the two.
Either the father or the son,
but not
Either the father, the son, or the daughter.
This statement may be refined on. It is chiefly made for the sake of giving fresh prominence to the idea of duality, expressed by the terminations -er and -ter.
[§ 435]. The absence of inflection simplifies the syntax of adjectives. Violations of concord are impossible. We could not make an adjective disagree with its substantive if we wished.