(1) _Number._--The final _e_, as a sign of the plural, is very
frequently dropped. _Pover_ (poor), _sturn_ (strong), make the plurals
_poveren_ and _sturnen_. In the phrase, “þo syȝteȝ so _quykeȝ_”[53]
(those sights so living), the _-eȝ_ (= _-es_) is a mark of the plural,
very common in Southern writers of the fourteenth century, and employed
as a plural inflexion of the adjective until a very late period in our
literature.
The Article exhibits the following forms:
SINGULAR. PLURAL.
Masc. Fem.
The. tho.[54] tho.
_This_ forms the plural _thise_ and _thes_ (_these_). _That_ is always
used as a demonstrative, and never as the neuter of the article; its
plural is _thos_ (those).[55] The older form, _theos_ = _these_, shows
that the _e_ is not a sign of the plural, as many English grammarians
have asserted.
(2) _Degrees of Comparison._--The comparative degree ends in _-er_, and
the superlative in _-est_.
Adjectives and adverbs terminating in the syllable _-lyche_ form the
comparative in _-loker_ and the superlative in _-lokest_; as, positive
_uglyche_ (= ugly), comp. _ugloker_, superl. _uglokest_. The long vowel
of the positive is often shortened in the comp. and superl., as in the
modern English _late_, _latter_, _last_.
Positive. Comparative. Superlative.
Brade (broad), bradder, braddest.
Dere (dear), derrer, derrest.
Lyke (like), lykker, lykkest.
Swete (sweet), swetter, swettest.
Wayke (weak), wakker, wakkest.
Wode (mad), wodder, woddest.
The following irregular forms are occasionally met with:
Positive. Comparative. Superlative.
Fer (far), ferre (fyrre), ferrest.
Heȝe (high), herre, heȝest (hest).
Neȝe (nigh, near) nerre, nerrest (nest).
Sare (sore), sarre, sarrest.
Forme (first), formast.
Mikelle (great), mo most.
Yvel, ill (bad), wers (worre), werst.
_Numerals._--_Twinne_ and _thrinne_ occur for two and three. The ordinal
numbers are--
first (fyrste), the forme,
secunde, that other, tother,
thryd, }
thrydde, }
furþe,
fyfþe,
sexte,
sevenþe,
aȝtþe,
nente,
tenþe, }
tyþe. }
The Northumbrian numerals corresponding to _sevenþe_, _aȝtþe_, _nente_,
_tenþe_, are _sevend_, _aghtend_, _neghend_, _tend_. The Southern forms
end in _-the_, as _sevenþe_, _eiȝteoþe_, _nyþe_, _teoþe_ (_tyþe_).
[Footnote 53: The feminine form is seldom employed.]
[Footnote 54: The Northumbrian plural article is _tha_.]
[Footnote 55: The Northumbrian corresponding form is _thas_.]