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Superlatives

sandman85, 2007年10月9日

讯息: 12

语言: English

sandman85 (显示个人资料) 2007年10月9日下午6:42:52

[LISTO]
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 (显示个人资料) 2007年10月9日下午6:54:29

Yes, especially when forming new compound words. Plilongigi means "to lengthen", "to make longer". Otherwise, writing them apart is perhaps more common.

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 (显示个人资料) 2007年10月10日上午1:13:42

mnlg:Yes, especially when forming new compound words. Plilongigi means "to lengthen", "to make longer". Otherwise, writing them apart is perhaps more common.

I 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'm definitely NOT a more experienced speaker than you are, but I figured I'd jump in anyway with my thoughts.

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 (显示个人资料) 2007年10月10日上午1:45:32

waxle:I see three distinct possibilities.
Actually, I see four. okulumo.gif

erinja (显示个人资料) 2007年10月13日上午12:03:29

RiotNrrd:
Pli biero! (more beer!)
Plej homoj (most people)
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"

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 (显示个人资料) 2007年10月13日上午1:41:04

mnlg:Yes, especially when forming new compound words. Plilongigi means "to lengthen", "to make longer". Otherwise, writing them apart is perhaps more common.

I 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 disagree. "Pli" and "plej" are traditionally always written as separate words in the basic usage, e.g., "pli granda". "Pligranda" is simply wrong.

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 (显示个人资料) 2007年10月13日下午6:47:32

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 (显示个人资料) 2007年10月13日下午10:49:56

RiotNrrd:Isn't it possible to turn them into adjectives so that they don't work like adverbs, though?

"Plejaj homoj", for example?
Yes. Even though I wouldn't be sure of what you meant (the utmost human beings?). "Plia grandeco" is perhaps a better example.

RiotNrrd (显示个人资料) 2007年10月13日下午11:01:48

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 (显示个人资料) 2007年10月14日上午12:05:14

RiotNrrd:
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.
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.

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