smærri

Smærri is a comparative adjective form found in several North Germanic languages and dialects, typically conveying the meaning "smaller" or "less" in reference to size or degree. The form includes the letter æ, a ligature common in Old Norse, Icelandic, Faroese, Danish and Norwegian orthographies, and reflects a long history of Germanic comparative formation.

As a grammatical form, smærri functions like other comparative adjectives: it is used to compare two entities or states, appearing in attributive positions (modifying a noun) or predicative constructions (following a copula). In languages with rich inflectional systems it may agree with gender, number and case according to regular declension patterns; in analytic varieties it behaves syntactically like a regular adjective.

Etymologically the form traces back to older Germanic roots meaning "small," and its specific shape and pronunciation vary between languages and dialects. Orthographic and phonetic realizations differ by standard; related modern forms without the æ ligature exist in other Germanic tongues (for example English "smaller"). Usage extends to everyday speech, literary contexts and idiomatic comparisons where a relative diminution is expressed.

Variants and cognates occur across the Scandinavian language family and reflect regular historical sound changes and morphological developments in comparative formation.