The superlative: A comparative study in Semitic languages

Abstract

As is known, the linguistic group known as (the Semitic language group) shares many linguistic characteristics (phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic). Among those linguistic features that the Semitic languages ​​share are derivatives, such as: (the source, the active participle, the passive participle, the adjective, the superlative, the place and time names, the mimetic source, ...) In this research, the superlative, which is one of the derivatives, was studied according to the comparative method that is based on identifying the common characteristics and qualities between a group of sister languages, provided that these languages ​​belong to a linguistic family or a branch of the same linguistic family, in order to know the similarities and differences and determine the kinship between the languages ​​​​that are the subject of comparative research, leading to establishing the mother tongue from which these languages ​​​​branched. Accordingly, the superlative was studied in five Semitic languages, namely Arabic, Hebrew, Syriac, Mandaic, and Akkadian, to show the similarities and differences between these languages, whether in relation to the superlative and its meanings.

The superlative is one of the derivatives shared by Semitic languages. In Arabic, the superlative is formed on the pattern of أَفْعَل to indicate that two things share a certain quality and one of them exceeds the other in that quality, such as: Muhammad is more generous than Ali. As for the superlative in Hebrew, the name is preferred over the other in a certain quality, and this is done by associating the preposition (מִן) (מֵ, מִ) with the second name. Anything sweeter than honey and anything stronger than a lion. In the Syriac language, the superlative is formed by adding the preposition (min) to the object of the superlative, such as: (Yosef is more beautiful than Simeon).