(2) In Old English, evil was the positive to worse, worst; but later bad and ill were borrowed from the Norse, and used as positives to the same comparative and superlative. Worser was once used, a double comparative; as in Shakespeare,—
O, throw away the worser part of it.—Hamlet.
(3) Little is used as positive to less, least, though from a different root. A double comparative, lesser, is often used; as,—
We have it in a much lesser degree.—Matthew Arnold.
Thrust the lesser half by main force into the fists of Ho-ti. —Lamb.
(4) The words much and many now express quantity; but in former times much was used in the sense of large, great, and was the same word that is found in the proverb, "Many a little makes a mickle." Its spelling has been micel, muchel, moche, much, the parallel form mickle being rarely used.
The meanings greater, greatest, are shown in such phrases as,—
The more part being of one mind, to England we sailed.—Kingsley.
The most part kept a stolid indifference.—Id.
The latter, meaning the largest part, is quite common.