TriCons Notes: Comparison Syntax

[qiihoskeh]

This post covers the syntax of comparisons of various kinds. I'll continue to edit it.

Qualities and Quantities

A quality has original (positive), opposite (negative), and neutral forms. The opposite forms are often suppletive; the neutral forms rarely so. The adverb little can be used to make an opposite from an original (or an original from a suppletive opposite) and the adverb neutral can be used to make a neutral from a positive.

Kinds of Comparison

Semantic comparison involves different kinds of standards.

Explicit Comparison

This corresponds to a conventional comparative with an explicit standard.

Some sample explicit comparisons:
(1) more hot-EXP potato-ABS than bread-OBJ
(2) eat.PRF-EXP Fred-ERG more number-ABS potato-ABS than onion-OBJ
(3) eat.PRF-EXP more number-ABS potato-ABS Fred-ERG than John-OBJ
(4) eat.PRF-EXP more often Fred-ERG potato-ABS than onion-OBJ
(5) eat.PRF-EXP more often potato-ABS Fred-ERG than John-OBJ

The standard of comparison is the object of than and the subject of comparison is the phrase immediately preceding than. The subject can be marked on the verb instead. Comparisons like sample (1) can be used as adjectives:
(1) potato-Case more hot-Case than bread-OBJ

The other constructions require relative clauses.

There are two ways of doing opposite explicit comparisons:
(a) more with the suppletive opposite form
(b) an adverb derived from more + little with the original form

Neutral explicit comparisons, meaning "as much as", using:
the same degree ... as with the original form or

The special words needed are adverbs for more, little, and the same degree ... as, a preposition for than, and words for number, number of times, often, duration, and other amounts.

Temporal Comparison

This corresponds to a conventional comparative of an entity with its earlier (or later) self. The Evolutive and Devolutive aspects will probably be used. For neutral temporal comparisons, the Continuing aspect will be used.

Selective Comparison

This corresponds to a conventional superlative -- the comparison selects a subset of the qualified set. A simple selective comparison is usually adjectival. When verbal, the copular auxiliary is used.

A sample:
(1) most hot-Case one-Case potato-Case
For construction analogous to (2) to (5) above, relative clauses must be used for adjectival usage.

There are two ways of doing opposite selective comparisons:
(a) most with the suppletive opposite form
(b) an adverb derived from most + little with the original form

Neutral selective comparisons, meaning "as much as", using:
an adverb derived from most + neutral with the original form or

The additional special words needed are an adverb for most.

Excessive and Satisfactive Comparisons

These constructions translate "too much or too little for" and "enough for", respectively. A complement clause with a subjunctive verb is used to indicate the purpose. Note that an indicative verb would make it a Result Clause rather than complete a Satisfactive. The prefix /cawe/ (so) is used for "enough for".

caukalooril ....
so hot-3IL ....
"It's hot enough ...."

Satisfactives:
(1) so hot-EXP potato-ABS that burn.SUB-EXP EXP-mouth-ABS John-GEN
(2) eat.PRF-EXP Fred-ERG so number-ABS potato-ABS that To.PRF-sick.SUB-3AD
etc.

Excessives:
One way to construct an excessive is with a satisfactive:
(1) so hot-EXP potato-ABS that not Uns-eat.SUB-3IL
"The potato is too hot to eat."

Implicit Comparison

This corresponds to a conventional positive -- comparison is to a norm which depends on the subject of comparison. Example:

EXP-in-EXP cottage-OBJ tiny-OBJ cockroach-ABS huge-ABS
"There was a huge cockroach inside the tiny cottage."

Cottage and cockroach are the subjects of tiny and huge.

Neutral implicit comparisons mean a normal degree with regard to the subject.

Precision and Degree

These specify how much more or less, or simply how much. Degree specifies a quantity and a unit of measurement (or sometimes just a quantity) and uses the degree preposition. Precision is either high, interpreted as "slightly" or "sort of", or low, interpreted as "a lot" or "very". Normal medium precision is not marked. Precision and degree are mutually exclusive.

standard	low	high
implicit	very	sort of
explicit	a lot	a little
selective	by a lot	by a little
excessive	by a lot	by a little
satisfactive	by a lot	by a little

Additional Kinds of Comparison

Absolute Positive

This corresponds to a conventional positive when degree is used (therefore, degree is required).

Absolute Superlative

This means as much as possible or as little as possible. The adverb is derived from most + low.