Messages : 12
Langue: English
sandman85 (Voir le profil) 9 octobre 2007 18:42:52
big = granda
bigger = pli granda
biggest = plej granda[/list]Is it allowed to use this instead:
[LISTO]
big = granda
bigger = pligranda
biggest = plejgranda[/list]?
mnlg (Voir le profil) 9 octobre 2007 18:54:29
I cannot think of a situation in which choosing between the two forms has more weight than a simple preference of style, but perhaps some experienced speaker can correct me.
RiotNrrd (Voir le profil) 10 octobre 2007 01:13:42
mnlg:Yes, especially when forming new compound words. Plilongigi means "to lengthen", "to make longer". Otherwise, writing them apart is perhaps more common.I'm definitely NOT a more experienced speaker than you are, but I figured I'd jump in anyway with my thoughts.
I cannot think of a situation in which choosing between the two forms has more weight than a simple preference of style, but perhaps some experienced speaker can correct me.
I tend to put a space between the superlative and whatever it is modifying if it just means "more" or "most" of whatever it is, but the concepts are still clearly delineated.
Pli biero! (more beer!)
Plej homoj (most people)
But when the superlative and whatever it is modifying sort of meld into a single concept, then I'll cram them together.
Plibonigi (to improve)
Plejgranda (biggest)
Obviously there's no hard and fast rule, both are correct, and either way will be understood (as well as be pronounced the same), so it really is kind of subjective. But that's the way I tend to think of it.
RiotNrrd (Voir le profil) 10 octobre 2007 01:45:32
waxle:I see three distinct possibilities.Actually, I see four.
erinja (Voir le profil) 13 octobre 2007 00:03:29
RiotNrrd:A grammatical issue - this should be "pli da biero". Theoretically I think you could say "plej da homoj" but I would normally say "la plejparto de homoj"
Pli biero! (more beer!)
Plej homoj (most people)
Remember that "pli" and "plej" act like adverbs, so they shouldn't normally be paired with a noun without some kind of interface word, since adverbs don't describe nouns.
taneli (Voir le profil) 13 octobre 2007 01:41:04
mnlg:Yes, especially when forming new compound words. Plilongigi means "to lengthen", "to make longer". Otherwise, writing them apart is perhaps more common.I disagree. "Pli" and "plej" are traditionally always written as separate words in the basic usage, e.g., "pli granda". "Pligranda" is simply wrong.
I cannot think of a situation in which choosing between the two forms has more weight than a simple preference of style, but perhaps some experienced speaker can correct me.
However, if you derive a new word from a phrase (usually by adding a suffix), you write the whole phrase and suffix together, e.g., "pligrandigi". Failure to do so sometimes results in a grammatical error, but sometimes it changes the meaning, usually into something strange. For instance, "pli grandeco" doesn't mean anything, but "pli grandigi" means "engage more in the act of making (something) big".
RiotNrrd (Voir le profil) 13 octobre 2007 18:47:32
erinja:Remember that "pli" and "plej" act like adverbs, so they shouldn't normally be paired with a noun without some kind of interface word, since adverbs don't describe nouns.Good point. I may be misusing them, then.
Isn't it possible to turn them into adjectives so that they don't work like adverbs, though?
"Plejaj homoj", for example?
mnlg (Voir le profil) 13 octobre 2007 22:49:56
RiotNrrd:Isn't it possible to turn them into adjectives so that they don't work like adverbs, though?Yes. Even though I wouldn't be sure of what you meant (the utmost human beings?). "Plia grandeco" is perhaps a better example.
"Plejaj homoj", for example?
RiotNrrd (Voir le profil) 13 octobre 2007 23:01:48
mnlg:Yes. Even though I wouldn't be sure of what you meant (the utmost human beings?).Ah, I see what you mean. I guess sometimes it's helpful to see how what you want to say isn't really what you are saying. I would have thought "plejaj homoj" would mean "most people", but I see now that it really means "people who are 'most'", which isn't quite the same thing at all (in fact, I have no idea what that means either).
Good clarification.
piteredfan (Voir le profil) 14 octobre 2007 00:05:14
RiotNrrd:No, I can't think of a meaning. However one could write of "la plej homaj bestoj", on the island of Dr Moreau for example.mnlg:Yes. Even though I wouldn't be sure of what you meant (the utmost human beings?).Ah, I see what you mean. I guess sometimes it's helpful to see how what you want to say isn't really what you are saying. I would have thought "plejaj homoj" would mean "most people", but I see now that it really means "people who are 'most'", which isn't quite the same thing at all (in fact, I have no idea what that means either).
Good clarification.