-abb

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See also: abb, ABB, abb., Abb., and àbb

Hungarian

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Etymology

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From -a- (linking vowel) +‎ -bb (comparative suffix).

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-abb

  1. (comparative suffix) -er, more (added to adjectives and certain adverbs to form the comparative)
    fiatal (young) + ‎-abb → ‎fiatalabb (younger)
    távol (far) + ‎-abb → ‎távolabb (farther)
    alaposan (thoroughly) + ‎-abb → ‎alaposabban (more thoroughly)

Usage notes

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  • (comparative suffix) Variants:
    -b is added to some words ending in a consonant; an archaic variant
    idős (elderly) + ‎-b → ‎idősb (senior) (the modern comparative is idősebb)
    -bb is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-.
    drága (expensive) + ‎-bb → ‎drágább (more expensive)
    fekete (black) + ‎-bb → ‎feketébb (blacker)
    -abb is added to most back-vowel words ending in a consonant
    fiatal (young) + ‎-abb → ‎fiatalabb (younger)
    -obb is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant
    nagy (big) + ‎-obb → ‎nagyobb (bigger)
    -ebb is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant
    öreg (old) + ‎-ebb → ‎öregebb (older)
Aside from the literal, relative sense, the comparative in Hungarian can also have an absolute sense, e.g. nagyobb is not necessarily “larger” but also “somewhat large”, “fairly large”, “largish”, “a little on the large side” (but not truly large). This sense is already lexicalized in the case of több, which doesn’t only mean “more” but also “several, multiple” (though not “many”).

Declension

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Inflection (stem in -a-, back harmony)
singular plural
nominative -abb -abbak
accusative -abbat -abbakat
dative -abbnak -abbaknak
instrumental -abbal -abbakkal
causal-final -abbért -abbakért
translative -abbá -abbakká
terminative -abbig -abbakig
essive-formal -abbként -abbakként
essive-modal
inessive -abban -abbakban
superessive -abbon -abbakon
adessive -abbnál -abbaknál
illative -abba -abbakba
sublative -abbra -abbakra
allative -abbhoz -abbakhoz
elative -abból -abbakból
delative -abbról -abbakról
ablative -abbtól -abbaktól
non-attributive
possessive - singular
-abbé -abbaké
non-attributive
possessive - plural
-abbéi -abbakéi

Derived terms

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See also

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