comperatief

Comperatief is a term found in some Dutch grammar traditions for the comparative degree of adjectives and adverbs. It refers to the form used to compare two entities or qualities, as in groter (larger) or sneller (faster). The comperatief is one part of the three grammatical degrees in Dutch: positief (the base form), comperatief (the comparative), and superlatief (the superlative).

Formation and usage: For most one- or two-syllable adjectives, the comparative is formed by adding the suffix -er, for example groot → groter, snel → sneller. When adding -er would produce awkward spelling or pronunciation, the periphrastic form with more is used, for example meer interessant (more interesting) or meer mooi (more beautiful). Many longer adjectives or those ending in certain sounds allow both patterns, and both are found in contemporary usage.

Irregular and special cases: Some adjectives form irregular comparatives, such as goed → beter and slecht → slechter. The superlative, the highest degree, is usually formed with -st or -ste, as in de grootste or het grootste, and can also be expressed with meest for longer adjectives (meest interessant).

Terminology and modern usage: In modern Dutch, the preferred term for this degree is often vergelijkende trap or comparatief. The label comperatief is less common and tends to appear in older grammars, regional writings, or discussions of historical terminology. Nevertheless, the concept remains the same: the comperatief marks a relative degree of comparison between two entities.

Examples: groter, sneller, mooier; beter, slechter; meest interessant, grootste. The choice between -er forms and periphrastic forms depends on word length, phonology, and common usage within the language community.