We learned at school that the adjective is the class of words whose function is to qualify the subject. It is a simple and objective explanation, but it does not explain the complexity of this grammatical element. The adjective not only qualifies the subject, but also delimits a noun, attributing to it qualities or defects, and may also indicate its aspect or state. As it is among the six grammatical classes that can suffer variation, the adjective is, therefore, inflected in gender, number and degree. The latter will be our object of study.
The variation in the degree of the adjective occurs when there is a need to compare or intensify the characteristics attributed to a noun. There are two degrees of the adjective: the comparative and the superlative. The absolute superlative degree can be analytic or synthetic. The superlative analytic degree is formed from the preposition of words like very, extraordinarily and extremely, therefore, easier to be built. The synthetic absolute superlative grade demands more care and attention. They attribute more expressiveness to the adjective, as they denote more emphasis on the quality or defect related to the noun. Take a look at some examples:
"If I knew, I wouldn't have spoken, but I spoke for veneration, for
esteem, by affection, to fulfill a bitter duty, a duty most loving...”
“Vocation is everything. The ecclesiastical state is most perfect, as long as the
priest come already destined from the cradle.”
“Oh! the laws are beautiful!”
“José Dias got up and looked out; after a few moments, he dropped his head, muttering: beautiful!”
“They didn't know her; if they knew it they would have it carved holy.”
Machado de Assis is considered the greatest writer of Brazilian letters and one of the greatest authors of Portuguese-language literature
The examples you just read are taken from the book Dom Casmurro. In Machado de Assis's masterpiece, there is a character, José Dias, who, according to the narrator's own words, Bentinho, loved superlatives. For José Dias, use the superlative “it was a way of giving a monumental look to ideas; not having them, it served to prolong the sentences". (Axe of Assisi, in Dom Casmurro). Did you notice how the use of the synthetic absolute superlative degree gave greater expressiveness to the character's lines? However, it is often misused. So that you can eliminate doubts once and for all, below is a table with the formation of the synthetic absolute superlative degree of some adjectives. Pay attention to the rules and be comfortable with superlatives. Good studies!
Adjectives ending in -a, -and, -o: |
careful - very careful lover - most loving cautious - very cautious |
|
Finished in – vel, will present the final -bil: Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;) |
legible - very legible lovely - most lovely |
Finished in -m and -to the, pass to -n and -an: |
young - very young christian - most christian |
Finished in -z, will receive depending on -ç: |
happy - very happy atrocious - very atrocious |
Finished in -u, -l (except -vel) and -r: |
bad - very bad fragile – fragile regular - very regular |
Finished in yo, the vowel -O falls to receive the suffix: |
full - very full cold - very cold |
Superlatives attached to Latin forms: |
cruel - very crude sweet – very sweet humble – humble poor – very poor |
Latin forms when added with the ending -very: |
cruel - cruel old - very old sweet - very sweet humble – very humble poor – very poor |
By Luana Castro
Graduated in Letters
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
PEREZ, Luana Castro Alves. "Degree of the adjective: Synthetic absolute superlative"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/gramatica/grau-adjetivo-superlativo-absoluto-sintetico.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.