Feature GB265: Is there a comparative construction that includes a form that elsewhere means 'surpass, exceed'?

Patrons: Hannah J. Haynie

Description ⇫

Summary

This feature identifies languages that have a comparative construction that involves a form (usually a verb form) meaning ‘surpass’ or ‘exceed’. Typically, the standard of comparison is the direct object, the object of comparison is the subject, and there are two predicates: one expressing ‘surpass/exceed’, and one carrying relevant lexical information about the property under comparison (e.g. Ronald exceed be-tall Julia., meaning ‘Ronald is taller than Julia.’).

Though this typical structure is quite common in languages that have a ‘surpass/exceed’ comparative construction, only the use of a ‘surpass/exceed' form is required for this feature; it is not necessary for the standard to occur as a direct object or the thing being compared to serve as the subject in order to trigger a 1 value. The order of these predicates is not relevant for this feature, nor whether the property word is a verb or an adjective. The predicate expressing ‘surpass/exceed’ must also have functions besides comparison.

Procedure

  1. If the language has a comparative construction involving a form that is also used outside of comparative constructions and has a meaning of ‘surpass/exceed’, then code 1.
  2. If the language does not use a ‘surpass/exceed’ form, code 0.
  3. If the language uses a form that has a meaning of ‘surpass’ or ‘exceed’, but that form only occurs in comparative constructions (i.e. is never used without another predicate that contributes lexical information about a property under comparison), code 0.

Examples

Awtuw (ISO 639-3: kmn, Glottolog: awtu1239)

In Awtuw there are comparative clauses that are constructed using the verb eryer ‘surpass’ in the second clause. This verb means ‘surpass’ outside of comparative constructions. Awtuw is coded 1.

rey   lælal  də-k-rokw-ey,       yaw d-eryer-kay
3SG.M noise  FACT-IPFV-do-IPFV   pig FACT-surpass-PRF
‘He makes more noise than a pig.’ (Feldman 1986: 169)

Further reading

Stassen, Leon. 1984. The comparative compared. Journal of Semantics 3. 143–182.

Stassen, Leon. 1985. Comparison and Universal Grammar. Oxford: Blackwell.

Ultan, Russell. 1972. Some features of basic comparative constructions. Working Papers on Language Universals 9. 117–162.

References

Feldman, Harry. 1986. A grammar of Awtuw. (Pacific Linguistics: Series B, 94.) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.


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Name Glottocode Family Macroarea Contributor Value Source Comment