(4) The positive is sometimes supplied by an adverb:
| Positive. | Comparative. | Superlative. |
|---|---|---|
| feor, far | fierra | fierrest |
| nēah, near | nēarra | nīehst |
| ǣr, before | ǣrra, former | ǣrest, first |
(5) The comparatives all follow the Weak Declension. The superlatives, when preceded by the definite article, are weak; but when used predicatively they are frequently strong: sē lǣsta dǣl, the least part; Ðonne cymeð sē man sē ðæt swiftoste hors hafað tō ðǣm ǣrestan dǣle and tō ðǣm mǣstan, Then comes the man that has the swiftest horse to the first part and to the largest. But, ðæt bȳne land is ēasteweard brādost (not brādoste), the cultivated land is broadest eastward; and (hit) bið ealra wyrta mǣst, and it is largest of all herbs; Ac hyra (= hiera) ār is mǣst on ðǣm gafole ðe ðā Finnas him gyldað, But their income is greatest in the tribute that the Fins pay them.
(6) The comparative is usually followed by ðonne and the nominative case: Sē hwæl bið micle lǣssa ðonne ōðre hwalas, That whale is much smaller than other whales; Ðā wunda ðæs mōdes bēoð dīgelran ðonne ðā wunda ðæs līchaman. The wounds of the mind are more secret than the wounds of the body.
But when ðonne is omitted, the comparative is followed by the dative: Ūre Ālīesend, ðe māra is ǫnd mǣrra eallum gesceaftum, Our Redeemer, who is greater and more glorious than all created things; nē ongeat hē nō hiene selfne bętran ōðrum gōdum mǫnnum, nor did he consider himself better than other good men.
Adverbs.
[97.]
(1) Adverbs are regularly compared by adding -or for the comparative and -ost (rarely -est) for the superlative:
| Positive. | Comparative. | Superlative. |
|---|---|---|
| georne, willingly | geornor | geornost |
| swīðe, very, severely | swīðor, more | swīðost, most, chiefly |
| ǣr, before | ǣror, formerly | ǣrest, first |
| norð, northwards | norðor | norðmest[1] |
(2) The comparatives of a few adverbs may be found by dropping -ra of the corresponding adjective form: