§ 86. The inflections of Definite Adjectives are the same as those of the second declension of nouns.

§ 87. The definite termination of the Nominative singular masculine, is always -a, and that of the feminine and neuter, -e, as :-.

se góda, seó góde, thaet góde," the good.

§ 88. In all cases, ae before a single consonant is changed into a in accordance with the rule given in § 82.

The peculiar form met with for the Ablative singular, is made by “thý, tháere, thỷ,” as:

m.

thý god-an

f. thaere god-an

thý god-an.

§ 89. Some adjectives, as, waedla," poor, "wana,” deficient, wanting, "wraecca," wretched, have only the definite form of declension, even when used in an indefinite sense.'

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES.

§ 90. There are three degrees of comparison, the Positive, Comparative, and Superlative.

§ 91. The Positive becomes the Comparative both definite and indefinite by annexing the termination -ra for the masculine, and -re' for the feminine and neuter; as, “smael," small, "smael-ra, smael-re," smaller, indefinite, and “ se smael-ra," "seó, thaet smael-re," the smaller, definite.

§ 92. The Superlative is formed from the Positive indefinitely, by adding the termination -ost or -est, and definitely, by adding -esta for the masculine, and -este' for the

1 "Wana" sometimes appears undeclined.

The termination -or, sometimes ur and -ar, through which -ra, -re, are obtained, is never used but adverbially.

Instead of -ost, or -est, we sometimes find -ust and -ast, and in

feminine and neuter; as, "smal-est," smallest, and smal-esta, seó, thaet smal-este," the smallest.

Irregular Comparisons.

§ 93. The following list contains the most of these:

the place of -esta, -este, not unfrequently -osta, -oste, we meet with

-ista or -ysta, -iste or -yste.

1 Variations in this and the following comparisons :

Aer, ár, aar, eár, ér; dera, áerra; derest, aerost, érest. eald, aeld.

feaw properly a Definitive Pronoun. See § 107. feor, feorr.

geong, geonc, ging, giung, gung; gyngra, geongra.

betera, betra; betst, betest,-both formed regularly from the old positive "bet," good.

heáh, heág, heách, heá; hyrra, hyra; hyhst, hehst.

lang, long.

laest; laesest, formed regularly from the old positive "laes," little, whence also the English lesser.

mycel, micel; maest, mést.

neáh, neáhg, náh; nyhst, neahst, necst.

sceort, scort.

strang, strong, streng, straeng.

wyrst; wyrrest, wyrest, formed originally from the old positive "weor," bad.

Some form the Superlative by -mest, -myst, from

1 Aefter, efter, aeft, eft, aefte; aefterra, aeftera; aeftermest, aeftermyst, aeftmest, aeftemyst.

fyrmest, formest, fyrest, fyrst, first.

inneweard, inneward, inweard; innemest, innemyst, innost. laet, lat, as already given; laetmest, laetmyst, laetemest.

ORIGIN AND FORMATION OF ADJECTIVES.

§ 94. Adjectives in Anglo-Saxon owe their origin either to nouns or verbs.

1. They are nouns used in a descriptive sense; as, "hige," diligence and diligent; "láth," evil and pernicious.'

2. They are nouns with meaning terminations added to them; as, "gold," gold, "gold-en," golden; "blód,"

nitheweard, nytheweard, nythewerd; nythera, neothera, neothra ; nithemest, nythmest.

sithmest, sithest.

uppeweard, upweard; ufera, ufora; ufemest, ufemyst.

úteweard, útewerd; útra, útera, úterra, úttera, úttra; and,

ýtera, ýttra.

In the course of time slight changes were made in many instances, for the purpose of distinguishing the adjective from the noun.

2 The following are these terminations:—

-baer, -baere, -bor, having the signification of producing, and re