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Superlative
quickinfo

The superlative adjective is distinguished from the positive degree of the adjective by the addition of a word or morpheme, as in the following examples (see formation):

1
a. tûk
smart
b. tûkst
smartest

The superlative is normally used to express the highest degree (maximative), as in tûkest smartest. However, it is also possible to express the opposite relation, that is thelowest degree (minimative), as in the following examples:

2
a. tûk
smart
b. tûkst
smartest
c. minst tûk
least smart

A superlative may contain a superlative complement which provides the standard for comparison. In the following example, the superlative complement has been bracketed:

3
Rintsje is it tûkst [fan 'e feintsjes]
Rintsje is the smartest of the boys
Rintsje is the smartest of the boys

Adjectives may have an Adposition Phrase (PP) argument, as in the following example (see position subcategorized PP):

4
Rintsje is bekend mei dat feit
Rintsje is familiar with that fact
Rintsje is familiar with that fact

It turns out that PP arguments to superlative adjectives have a more constrained word order than PP arguments to the same adjectives in the positive degree. Negation and semantically related words may provide a structural environment in which negative polarity items occur. It turns out that negative polarity items may also occur in the comparative complement of a comparative construction.

Depending on its structural environment, the superlative adjective must, may or may not be accompanied by a definite article.

Unlike comparatives, superlatives do not enter into the partitive construction.

Certain superlative constructions have the syntactic form of PPs.

Superlatives can be modified by adjectives, by PPs and by prefixes so as to yield specific constructions with their own semantics.

References
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