Steigerung

Steigerung is a German noun meaning an increase or intensification. The term is used in several contexts, most notably in linguistics and rhetoric, but it can also refer to a general rise in quantity or level.

In linguistics, Steigerung denotes the formation and use of comparative and superlative degrees of adjectives and some adverbs. The system comprises three degrees: Positiv (the base form), Komparativ (the comparative), and Superlativ (the superlative). Regular forms follow predictable patterns, as in groß, größer, am größten; schnell, schneller, am schnellsten. Some adjectives and adverbs are irregular, such as gut, besser, am besten, or viel, mehr, am meisten. The Steigerung affects both attributive and predicative positions and can interact with word order and syntax, for example in comparisons with “als” or in phrases like “am größten.”

In rhetoric, Steigerung is a figure of speech or stylistic device that intensifies meaning by a progression of terms or phrases. It is closely related to the concept of Klimax (gradual increase in force) and Gradation. An author uses a Steigerung to heighten emphasis, often by arranging words or ideas from weaker to stronger on a continuum, such as “Sie sah ihn, hörte ihn und spürte ihn” or “Er kam, sah und siegte.”

Beyond these, Steigerung can denote any general increase or escalation, for example a Steigerung der Produktion or of temperatures. In education and linguistics, the term is frequently paired with Komparativ and Superlativ as part of the study of grammar and stylistics.