昨日の記事「#4629. Shakespeare の2重比較級・最上級の例」 ([2021-12-29-1]) で，現代英語の規範文法では許容されない2重比較級・最上級が Shakespeare によって使われていた事例を見た．
それとは異なるタイプだが，現代では普通 more, most を前置する迂言形が用いられるところに Shakespeare では -er, -est を付す屈折形が用いられていた事例や，その逆の事例も観察される．さらには，現代では比較級や最上級になり得ない「絶対的」な意味をもつ形容詞・副詞が，Shakespeare ではその限りではなかったという例もある．現代と Shakespeare には400年の時差があることを考えれば，このような意味・統語論的な変化があったとしても驚くべきことではない．
Shakespeare と現代の語法で異なるものを Crystal and Crystal (88--90) より列挙しよう．
[ 現代英語では迂言法，Shakespeare では屈折法の例 ]
| Modern comparative | Shakespearian comparative | Example |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------- | ----------- |
| more honest | honester | Cor IV.v.50 |
| more horrid | horrider | Cym IV.ii.331 |
| more loath | loather | 2H6 III.ii.355 |
| more often | oftener | MM IV.ii.48 |
| more quickly | quicklier | AW I.i.122 |
| more perfect | perfecter | Cor II.i.76 |
| more wayward | waywarder | AY IV.i.150 |
| Modern superlative | Shakespearian superlative | Example |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------- | --------------- |
| most ancient | ancient'st | WT Iv.i10 |
| most certain | certain'st | TNK V.iv.21 |
| most civil | civilest | 2H6 IV.vii.56 |
| most condemned | contemned'st | KL II.ii.141 |
| most covert | covert'st | R3 III.v.33 |
| most daring | daring'st | H8 II.iv.215 |
| most deformed | deformed'st | Sonn 113.10 |
| most easily | easil'est | Cym IV.ii.206 |
| most exact | exactest | Tim II.ii.161 |
| most extreme | extremest | KL V.iii.134 |
| most faithful | faithfull'st | TN V.i.112 |
| most foul-mouthed | foul mouthed'st | 2H4 II.iv.70 |
| most honest | honestest | AW III.v.73 |
| most loathsome | loathsomest | TC II.i.28 |
| most lying | lyingest | 2H6 II.i.124 |
| most maidenly | maidenliest | KL I.ii.131 |
| most pained | pained'st | Per IV.vi.161 |
| most perfect | perfectest | Mac I.v.2 |
| most ragged | ragged'st | 2H4 I.i.151 |
| most rascally | rascalliest | 1H4 I.ii.80 |
| most sovereign | sovereignest | 1H4 I.iii.56 |
| most unhopeful | unhopefullest | MA II.i.349 |
| most welcome | welcomest | 1H6 II.ii.56 |
| most wholesome | wholesom'st | MM IV.ii.70 |
[ 現代英語では屈折法，Shakespeare では迂言法の例 ]
| Modern comparative | Shakespearian comparative | Example |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------- | --------------- |
| greater | more great | 1H4 IV.i77 |
| longer | more long | Cor V.ii.63 |
| nearer | more near | AW I.iii.102 |
[ 現代英語では比較級・最上級を取らないが，Shakespeare では取っている例 ]
| Modern word | Shakespearian comparison | Example |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------------- | --------------- |
| chief | chiefest | 1H6 I.i.177 |
| due | duer | 2H4 III.ii.296 |
| just | justest | AC II.i.2 |
| less | lesser | R2 II.i.95 |
| like | liker | KJ II.i.126 |
| little | littlest [cf. smallest] | Ham III.ii.181 |
| rather | ratherest | LL IV.ii.18 |
| very | veriest | 1H4 II.ii.23 |
| worse | worser [cf. less bad] | Ham III.iv.158 |
現代と過去とで比較級・最上級の作り方が異なる例については「#3618. Johnson による比較級・最上級の作り方の規則」 (
[2019-03-24-1]) も参照．
・ Crystal, David and Ben Crystal.
Shakespeare's Words: A Glossary & Language Companion. London: Penguin, 2002.
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