Sitbstantivation in Chaucer U 



Many illustrations of the use of oon and other as pronouns 

 can be found. 



D. Substantivation of superlatives and comparatives. 



In addition to the use of adjectives in the positive degree 

 many comparatives and superlatives are found to be substantiv- 

 ized by Chaucer. ' 



1. Comparatives. 



Ne never saugh I a more bountevous Of hyre estate ne gladder 

 nor of speche A frendlyer. Troylus and Cryseyde. Bk. I. 883. — 

 Of harmes the lesse is for to chese. ibid. Bk. II. 470. — In love a 

 falser herde I never none. Phillis, 5. — Of honours that oure 

 eldrcs with us lefte. Monkes Tale, 208.— That at the fest leet 

 slee both more and lesse. Man of Lawes Tale, 861. 



2. Superlatives. 



to the lest and to the meste. Squyeres Tale, 2^2.~-best unto best. 

 Court of Love, 594. — Emelye, the rezvfnllest of alle the com- 

 panye. Knyghtes Tale, 2026. — He that semeth the wisest, by 

 Jesus, Is most fool. Born of the gentilest and the heighest Of 

 al this land. Clerkes Tale, 75. — I ain oon the faireste. Troylus 

 and Cryseyde. Bk. II. 746. 



It is to be noted that the use of comparatives and superlatives 

 with one, a very common usage in modern English, is seldom 

 seen in Chaucer. Probably not more than a half dozen exam- 

 ples are to be found. Of special interest in this connection is the 

 following statement by Dr. Louise Pound,^ "Examples of the 

 substantivation of comparatives and superlatives as personal sub- 

 stantives through one are not frequent even in the last half of 

 the sixteenth century, when it was very common with the pos- 

 itive. Dr. Gerber, investigating fifteenth and sixteenth century 

 English, finds but one example." 



^ Comparison of Adjectives in Eti^lish in the XV. and the XVI. Century, 

 p. 64. 



261 



