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English Adjective Comparison: A Historical Perspective

This book analyses in depth the development of the English comparative of superiority from its beginnings to the present-day (c.800 to 2003). It engages with different linguistic (morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics) and socio-stylistic paradigms and makes an original contribution to the field through extensive discussion of ‘non-standard’ comparative strategies. The analysis is based on a large collection of textual materials (e.g. fiction, drama, academic prose, private and public letters, TV scripts, school lectures) from ready-available corpora (e.g. Helsinki, Archer, BNC) and the author’s own compilation (a corpus of Early Modern English dramatists). Research and writing involved some five years work.