1.8.1. Means for expressing comparison
There are two constructions available for the expression of comparison: one of them contains the standard in a (usually elliptic) clause, the other in a case-marked noun phrase. The comparative of adjectives and adverbs is formed by means of the suffix -bb, and that of the quantifier or numeral sok ‘many, much’ is the irregular több
‘more’. “Reverse” comparison is expressed by using kevésbé ‘less’ and the parameter (adjective or adverb) of comparison in construction with the clause containing the standard.
1.8.1.1. Clausal comparative
The full form of the clausal comparative construction is composed of the parameter of comparison (an adjective, numeral, or adverb) in the comparative form, an appropriate relative pro-form, the conjunction or complementizer mint ‘as, than’, and the standard of comparison in a clause. Although it is not ungrammatical, the full form is rarely ever used; for more on this, see below.
(441) a. Anna érdekes-ebb, mint amilyen érdekes Péter volt.
Anna interesting-CMP than what interesting Peter was ‘Anna is more interesting than Peter was.’
b. Anna érdekesebb, mint Péter.
‘Anna is more interesting than Peter.’
(442) a. Anna több könyv-et olvas, mint amennyi könyv-et Anna more book-ACC reads than how-many book-ACC Péter olvas.
Peter reads
‘Anna reads more books than Peter does.’
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‘Anna reads more books than Peter.’
(443) a. Anna gyors-abb-an olvas, mint amilyen gyorsan Péter Anna fast-CMP-ADV reads than how fast-ADV Peter olvas.
reads.
‘Anna reads faster than Peter does.’
b. Anna gyorsabban olvas, mint Péter.
‘Anna reads faster than Peter.’
It is possible to have different items as apparent parameters in the two clauses, but in this case the actual parameter is some common measure (e.g., length or number). In the structures in question the relative pro-form cannot be omitted.
(444) a. A polc hossz-abb, mint *(amilyen) széles a szoba.
The shelf long-er than what wide the room ‘The shelf is longer than the room is wide.’
b. *A polc hossz-abb, mint a szoba széles.
(445) Anna több könyv-et olvasott, mint *(amennyi) cikk-et Anna more book-ACC read than how-many article-ACC Péter írt.
Peter wrote
‘Anna has read more books than Peter has written articles.’
If two predicates are compared, the subtype of clausal comparative applied is the analytic construction formed by means of the unanalyzable inkább ‘rather, more’ and the predicates.
(446) a. Anna inkább írja, mint olvassa a könyvek-et.
Anna rather writes.DEF than reads.DEF the books-ACC ‘Anna writes, rather than reads, books.’
b. Péter inkább könyvek-et, mint cikkek-et ír.
Peter rather books-ACC than articles-ACC writes ‘Peter writes books rather than articles.’
“Reverse” comparatives are also clausal, and occur in analytic constructions.
(447) a. Anna kevésbé érdekes, mint Péter.
Anna less interesting than Peter
‘Anna is less interesting than Peter.’
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Anna less fast-ADV reads than Peter ‘Anna reads less fast than Peter.’
1.8.1.2. Case-marked comparative
In this construction-type the standard of comparison is marked by the adessive case, otherwise used to express adjacency to some place, rendered commonly as ‘at’ in English.
(448) a. Anna érdekes-ebb volt Péter-nél.
Anna interesting-CMP was Peter-ADE
‘Anna was more interesting than Peter.’
b. Anna gyors-abb-an olvas Péter-nél.
Anna fast-CMP-ADV reads Peter-ADE
‘Anna reads faster than Peter.’
c. Anna több könyv-et olvasott Péter-nél.
Anna more book-ACC read Peter-ADE
‘Anna has read more books than Peter.’
This structure does not allow a change of adjective, even if the standard is nominalized.
(449) *?A polc hossz-abb a szoba széles-ség-é-nél.
the shelf long-CMP the room wide-NML-POSS-ADE
‘The shelf is longer than the room’s width.’
1.8.2–5. Ellipsis in comparative constructions
Identical elements can, but need not, be deleted in the subordinate clause. Even though the full construction
appears to be overextended, and therefore awkward, it is perfectly possible to repeat them in the clause, especially if other constituents differ.
(450) a. Anna több könyv-et olvasott, mint amennyi (könyv)-ről Anna more book-ACC read than how-many book-DEL Péter valahais álmodott.
Peter ever CL dreamed
‘Anna has read more books than Peter has ever dreamed of.’
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Anna more book-ACC read than how-many book-ACC Péter <olvasott>.
Peter read
‘Anna has read more books than Peter (has).’
Note that in the last example the verb in the comparative clause can occur only if the relative pro-form (with or without the rest of its NP) is present, as is signalled by the angled brackets around the verb. If the verb is missing, the relative pro-form can also be omitted. Thus, in the clausal construction-type the complementizer and the
standard must be present; all other constituents, including the relative pro-form, are optional, though they are usually deleted. As was indicated above, the case-marked comparative can only contain the standard, thus no questions of deletion arise.
The differences between the two constructions follow from their fundamental syntactic properties. On the one hand, the case-marked subtype can only have NPs as standards, in contrast with the clausal type, which allows for various kinds of other standards as well, as was seen above. On the other hand, the case-marked comparative can be easily embedded in structures of premodification, which is not possible for the clausal subtype, since right-branching
structures cannot be embedded inside left-branching ones.
(451) a. Péter [Anná-nál érdekes-ebb emberek könyvei-t]
Peter Anna-ADE interesting-CMP people’s books-ACC olvasta.
read.DEF
‘Peter has read books by people more interesting than Anna.’
b. *Péter [érdekes-ebb mint Anna emberek könyvei-t]
interesting-CMP than Anna olvasta.
1.8.6 Correlative comparison
The paired elements mi-nél…an-nál ‘what-ADE…that-ADE’ are the markers of correlative comparative constructions.
As shown by the glosses, they constitute a relative vs. main clause construction, similar to what was seen in clausal comparatives.
(452) a. Mi-nél érdekes-ebb a könyv, an-nál hossz-abb.
what-ADE interesting-CMP the book that-ADE long-CMP ‘The more interesting the book is, the longer it is.’
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what-ADE more-ACC read.1SG that-ADE little-CMP-ACC tudok.
know.1SG
‘The more I read, the less I know.’