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words with the stress on the first syllable ending in other grapho-phonemic complexes than -er, -y, -le, -ow or
words of more than two-syllable composition) cannot normally take the synthetic forms of comparison. In this
respect, the analytical comparison forms are in categorial complementary distribution with the synthetic
comparison forms. On the other hand, the analytical forms of comparison, as different from the synthetic forms,
are used to express emphasis, thus complementing the synthetic forms in the sphere of this important stylistic
connotation. Cf.:
The audience became more and more noisy, and soon the speaker's words were drowned in the general hum
of voices.
The structure of the analytical degrees of comparison is meaningfully overt; these forms are devoid of the
feature of "semantic idiomatism" characteristic of some other categorial analytical forms, such as, for instance,
the forms of the verbal perfect. For this reason the analytical degrees of comparison invite some linguists to
call in question their claim to a categorial status in English grammar.
In particular, scholars point oilt the following two factors in support of the view that the combinations of
more/most with the basic form of the adjective are not the analytical expressions of the morphological category
of comparison, but free syntactic constructions: first, the more/most-combinations are semantically analogous to
combinations of less/least with the adjective which, in the general opinion, are syntactic combinations of
notional words; second, the most-combination, unlike the synthetic superlative, can take the indefinite article,
expressing not the superlative, but the elative meaning (i.e. a high, not the highest degree of the respective
quality).
The reasons advanced, though claiming to be based on an analysis of actual lingual data, can hardly be
called convincing as regards their immediate negative purpose.
Let us first consider the use of the most-combination with the indefinite article.
This combination is a common means of expressing elative evaluations of substance properties. The
function of the elative most-construction in distinction to the function of the superlative most-construction will
be seen from the following examples:
The speaker launched a most significant personal attack on the Prime Minister. The most significant of the
arguments in a dispute is not necessarily the most spectacular one.
While the phrase "a most significant (personal) attack" in the first of the two examples gives the idea of
rather a high degree of the quality expressed irrespective of any directly introduced or implied comparison
with other attacks on the Prime Minister, the phrase "the most significant of the arguments" expresses exactly
the superlative degree of the quality in relation to the immediately introduced comparison with all the rest of
the arguments in a dispute; the same holds true of the phrase "the most spectacular one". It is this exclusion of
the outwardly superlative adjective from a comparison that makes it into a simple elative, with its most-
constituent turned from the superlative auxiliary into a kind of a lexical intensifier.
The definite article with the elative most-construction is also possible, if leaving the elative function less
distinctly recognizable (in oral speech the elative most is commonly left unstressed, the absence of stress
serving as a negative mark of the elative). Cf:.
I found myself in the most awkward situation, for I couldn't give a satisfactory answer to any question
asked by the visitors.
Now, the synthetic superlative degree, as is known, can be used in the elative function as well, the
distinguishing feature of the latter being its exclusion from a comparison. Cf.:
Unfortunately, our cooperation with Danny proved the worst experience for both of us. No doubt Mr. Snider
will show you his collection of minerals with the greatest pleasure.
And this fact gives us a clue for understanding the expressive nature of the elative superlative as such - the
nature that provides it with a permanent grammatico-stylistic status in the language. Indeed, the expressive
peculiarity of the form consists exactly in the immediate combination of the two features which outwardly
contradict each other: the categorial form of the superlative on the one hand, and the absence of a comparison
on the other.
That the categorial form of the superlative (i.e. the superlative with its general functional specification) is
essential also for the expression of the elative semantics can, however paradoxical it might appear, be very well
illustrated by the elative use of the comparative degree. Indeed, the comparative combination featuring the
elative comparative degree is constructed in such a way as to place it in the functional position of unrestricted
superiority, i.e. in the position specifically characteristic of the superlative. E.g.:
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