[From Manx Soc vol 2, Kelly's Manx Grammar]

CHAPTER XI.

THE COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES.

In the Manks there are but two degrees of comparison, viz., the positive, or low degree; and the superlative, or highest derree; as, aalin, fair, s'aalin, fairest; pos. yn fer graney, the ugly man; sup. yn fer s'graney, the ugliest man. But in this superlative is included the English comparative degree also; as, s'aalin may be Englished, fairer; and s'graney, uglier.

The superlative is formed of its positive by adding s' (a contraction of the word smoo, more, or most,) to the initial of its singular masculines; as, pooaral, powerful, sup. s'pooaral, more, or most powerful.

Between the comparatives, or words or persons compared, is commonly placed the comparative conjunction na, answering to the ante­comparative conjunction ny; as, ta moddey bio ny share na lion marroo, a live dog is better than a dead lion.

As the positive degree ee is a weak adjective, it undergoes those changes of gender that adjectives are subject to; but the superlative alters not, but is always expressed in its singular masculine; as, yn ven ghennal, the merry woman; sup. yn ven s'gennal, the merriest woman.

Monosyllables that begin and end with a consonant have always the syllable ey added to them in the superlative degree; as, post boght, poor; sup. s'boghtey, poorest.

Polysyllables ending in agh commonly change agh into ee; as, post agglagh, horrid, sup. s'agglee, most horrid; post kiaralagh, careful, sup. s'kiaralee, most careful.

Positives having oa and io change them into e; as, moal, feeble, sup. s'melley, most feeble; post chion, tight, sup. s'chenney, tightest:

Having o and ia make i; as, trome, heavy, sup. s'trimmey, heaviest; gial, white, sup. s'gilley, whitest:

Having au, make iu--as roauyr, fat, sup. s'riurey, fattest; liauyr, long, sup. s'liurey, longest.

These following are anomalous, or irregular comparisons:--

Which variations run through all the European languages, as depending on the Celtic; and not from the caprice of custom, as Mr. Louth imagines. (See Eng. Gr. p. 26.)

The Manks language, besides the degrees of comparison already mentioned, has a sort of comparison which imports sometimes equality, sometimes admiration, and may be explained in English by as, so, how: as, cha aalin as eshyn, as fair as he; s'mie lhiam shen dy jarroo! how pleasing is it to me! s'banglaneagh y peccagh! how prolific is man! s'mooar lhiam eh! how I begrudge it! It is formed of the positive, by prefixing the contraction s', according to the rules of the superlative degree.