Dal'qörian comparative sentences

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Comparative sentences

There are three types of comparative sentence:

Positive

• This pie is as nice as it was yesterday.

• One picture is as nice as the next.

• It’s as good as it gets!

In Dalcurian, these are formed with the particle säsa which goes before the adjective:

• SéÞa epnij säsa quraläla ädiáda. This pie is as nice as yesterday. (In comparative sentences, adverbs of time do not begin the sentence. See Adverbs)

• Sia gä’létr di vaÞriámn,, ön sia säsa gé’älig söcasendras. She told the truth and was as honest as possible.

Using the intensifier esti with säsa also renders the equivalent of just as...as, which is slightly more emphatic:

• Binä säsa esti sæadörädn diöra. I’m just as surprised as you.

Comparative sentences

• I’m more intelligent than you.

• The train is faster than the car.

• It was more noticeable than yesterday.

These are simply formed with the comparative form of the adjective and nas-than:

• Binä tev’ilalägra nas diöra. I'm more intelligent than you.

• Sahán ni tev’éagöra evédrátsi nas Sösan. Sahán is a better driver than Sösan.

• TiÞ gé’te'natinträdn nas ädiáda. It was more noticeable than yesterday.

Sentences such as: "You are getting taller and taller. The wind is blowing stronger and stronger etc, (where the adjective is compared with itself), are formed with the adverb brát-still and the comparative:

• Diö vädenária brát te’viténa. You are getting taller and taller. (lit: You are becoming still taller).

• Di ateméj löbria brát te’herecöl. The wind is blowing stronger and stronger. (lit: The wind is blowing still stronger).

Superlative sentences

• I’m the best guitar player.

• This is the happiest I’ve seen her.

• ...and worst of all, she said I wasn’t attractive!

The first two examples are formed with the definate article and the superlative:

• Binä di tev’éagöra gitæjátsi. I'm the best guitar player.
• SéÞa di te’qurnöra,, taÞ binä gä’ábravisör siöra. This is the happiest I've seen her.

As in the third example, the form adj + of all is formed by adding the adverbial suffix as/ni to the comparative adjective:

• Minäla, te ména, gä’ábra-eƒragör di iáda,, brát tev’éagöras, ména, lintöni Tradiáda, mösárax nöreÞár. We’ve been given the day off but best of all, we don’t have to go back until Wednesday. (mösárax-must not in Dalcurian renders the English equivalent of do not have to, see Verbs)

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Negation

There are 2 ways in which negation is rendered. In positive sentences, negation comes from the expression stæmériÞ which means less than/not as much. This follows säsa:

* SéÞa epnij säsa stæmériÞ quraläla ädiáda. This pie is notas nice as yesterday.

• Sia gä’létr eÞöa vaÞriámn,, brát sia säsa stæmériÞ gé’älig söcasendras. She told some truth but was notas honest as possible.

In comparative sentences, stæmériÞ replaces the prefix te/tev:

• Binä stæmériÞ'ilalägra nas diöra. I'm notmore intelligent than you.

• Sahán ni stæmériÞ’éagöra evédrátsi nas Sösan. Sahán is not a better driver than Sösan.

• TiÞ stæmériÞ'gé’natinträdn nas ädiáda. It was less noticeable than yesterday.

The superlative is formed in the same way as the comparative:

• Binä di stæmériÞ’éagöra gitæjátsi. I'm not the best guitar player.

• SéÞa di stæmériÞ’qurnöra,, taÞ binä gä’ábravisör siöra. This is not the happiest I've seen her.

Note: There are other ways of negating comparative adjectives, however, this is the easiest and most common.