comparativemasculine

Comparativemasculine is a term used in linguistic discussions to refer to the masculine form of the comparative degree in languages with grammatical gender. The concept surveys how languages mark comparison when the head noun is masculine, and how adjectives or other modifiers agree in gender and number with that noun.

Across languages, the masculine comparative can be formed in different ways. Some languages use inflectional endings on the adjective (or on the determiner plus adjective) to realize gender and degree simultaneously. In others, comparison is expressed periphrastically with a modifier such as more or plus, followed by the adjective in its masculine form or in a gender-neutral base, depending on the language's syntax.

Examples illustrate the range. Spanish uses más alto for a masculine singular referent, and más alta for a feminine singular. French typically renders the masculine comparative as plus grand, with feminine marked as plus grande. German often marks both degree and gender through agreement and declension, so the masculine form of a comparative appears in contexts with masculine nouns and specific case endings.

Typologically, comparativemasculine highlights the interaction of comparison with gender. Some languages reduce or regularize gender distinctions in comparatives, while others maintain close alignment between the masculine form and the head noun. Researchers study this to understand broader patterns of agreement and morphology.

See also: gender agreement, comparative degree, inflectional morphology.