Equative construction
An equative construction is a grammatical construction using an adjective or an adverb in the comparative of equality (also called "equative degree"). An equative construction equates a comparee with a standard in terms of a certain quality or action. In English, such a construction takes the form “as X as S”, where S is the standard.[1]
In modern French, the equative construction takes the form “aussi X que S”.[2]
Welsh has an equative degree of adjectives, usually indicated by the suffix -ed; for example, "hyned" (â ...)", meaning "as old (as ...)".[3]
References
[edit]- ↑ Haspelmath, Martin (2017). "Equative constructions in world-wide perspective". In Yvonne Treis and Martine Vanhove (ed.). Similative and Equative Constructions: A cross-linguistic perspective. doi:10.1075/tsl.117.02has.
- ↑ Haspelmath, Martin; Buchholz, Oda (2011). "Equative and similative constructions in the languages of Europe". Adverbial Constructions in the Languages of Europe. p. 293. doi:10.1515/9783110802610.277.
In older French, equative constructions had the standard marker comme (aussi grande comme moi), but this was later replaced by que.
- ↑ Morgan, Gareth (1996). "Reading Middle Welsh". Retrieved 2022-08-11.
Welsh has an equative degree of the adjective, meaning 'as big', 'as new', and so on. It often has an air of exclamation about it: 'how big!', 'how new!' The equative suffix is -ed.