definite, answering, though not so exactly, to the Complex Order of Nouns.

II.-Definite Declension.

Example-(gód good) þæt gód-e (3) &c. the good.

This declension is used for all adjectives, participles, and pronouns in general; participles present however take -ra instead of -ena in the genitive plural. Monosyllables commonly change æ to a throughout; as, smæl small, pæt smale, se smala, seó smale the small, and so on. Adjectives in -h, as heáh high, usually change it to g when the case-ending is a vowel, as, þæt heág-e, &c.; otherwise the h is dropt; as, abl. &c. heán. Those in -u (-0), as near-u narrow, take w throughout; as, þæt near-we, &c. (4)

(3) Comp. Nouns I. 1, 2, 3.

(*) Comp. Nouns II. 2, 3. III. 1.

Thus are declined adjectives ending in -e, -el (-ol), -isc, and -wís; likewise most monosyllables, all participles present, participles past of the Simple Order, superlatives and pronouns; as, wyrd-e worth, worthy, dýg-el dark, sprec-ol talkative, menn-isc human, ge-wís sure, sóđ true, sooth, leóht light, heard hard, seóc sick, wrec wretched, fæst fast, &c.

Those in -e drop it when a syllable of inflection is added; wyrd-ne, wyrd-um, wyrd-re, &c.

Adjectives in -h and -u follow the rules given above; accus. masc. heá-nne, nearo-ne; abl. &c. fem. heá-re, near-we or near-e; gen. plur. heá-ra, near-wa or

near-a.

(1) Comp. Nouns II. 1, 2,

Thus are declined monosyllables with a (except fæst) &c., most adjectives with derived endings, and participles past of the Complex Order; some of both the latter, however, follow Declension I. As, læt late, slow, swær heavy, glæd glad, bær bare, swas sweet, dear, til good, eád-ig blessed, prosperous, fær-lic sudden, dangerous, ge-sib-sum peaceable, mæg-er meagre, hlutt-or clear, fæg-en glad, fain. Some dissyllables are contracted in certain forms, as, hál-ig holy, hál-ge, hál-ges, &c., but gen. plur. hál-igra and the like.

(1) Comp. Nouns III. 1,3.

V.-Comparison.

The Comparative and Superlative Degrees are regularly formed by adding -or and -ost (1), (E. and G. -er and -est), to the indefinite form; as, leóf, leóf-or, leóf-ost dear, dear-er, dear-est (G. lieb, lieb-er, lieb-est): æ usually becomes a; as, smæl, smal-or, smal-ost, small, small-er, small-est. (G. schmal, schmäl-er, schmäl-est.) The ending or is however only adverbial; as an adjective the Comparative is formed in -re, -ra, -re, whether used definitely or indefinitely; as, (þæt) leóf-re, (se) leóf-ra, (seó) leóf-re (the) dearer; (G. das &c. lieb-re) (pet) smæl-re &c. (the) smaller; (G. das &c. schmäl-re). The Superlative has both the definite and indefinite inflections, the former in -ost, or -est, (also the adverbial form), the latter in -oste, -osta, -oste, or -este &c.; as, leóf-ost dearest, pat leóf-oste, or leóf-este &c. the dearest; (G. das &c. lieb-ste.)

POSITIVE.

(') Comp. the L. comparative -ior; Gr. superlative cor-06, &c.

VI.-Irregular Comparison.

The following adjectives are irregularly compared; the change of a into e; æ into a; eá into ý, or é; ea, eo, u, into y, answers to that of the German a into ä, o into ö, u into ü: in English but few traces of this remain. The forms in -me (2) (-ma, -me) are old superlatives, afterwards used as positives, and then again compared. The words between brackets are adverbs, peculiarly formed.

neah

nearre (near, nyr) nyhst, nehst, next

(3) Comp. L. superlatives in -mum (-mus, -ma).

(3) Comp. G. lang, länger, längst; alt, älter, ältest; nahe, näher, nächst; hoch, höher, höchst; jung, jünger, jüngst; fort, fürter; sanft, sanfter, sänftest; eher, erat; gut, wohl, besser, best; mehr, meist, &c.

D