16.3. Superlative construction
| ʔə́c nuʔčə́q. | ‘I am the biggest.’ |
| nə́kʷ nuʔčə́q. | ‘You are the biggest.’ |
| níɬ nuʔčə́q cə píšpš. | ‘The cat is biggest.’ |
| ʔuʔhúy cn ʔuʔ čə́q. | ‘I am the biggest. / Only I am big.’ |
| ʔuʔhúy cxʷ ʔuʔ čə́q. | ‘You are the biggest. / Only you are big.’ |
| ʔuʔhúy cə píšpš ʔuʔ čə́q. | ‘The cat is biggest. / Only the cat is big.’ |
► 1 The first three models should look familiar. This form of the superlative in Klallam is basically the same as the comparative. The only difference is that in the superlative only one thing is mentioned. Here is the basic formula for this construction:
FOCUS nuʔQUALITY X
► 2 Just as in the comparative construction, the question words cán and stáŋ count as focus pronouns. So the following are models for superlative questions:
cán nuʔčə́q. ‘Who is the biggest?’
stáŋ nuʔčə́q. ‘What is the biggest?’
► 3 The last three models show a different way of expressing superlative comparison. This uses one of the intensifier auxiliaries (§29). We will look at those in detail later. Note that these last three models were not included in the printed version of the Klallam Grammar.
► 4 The key word in these three models is húy, which means ‘finish, end’ when used without a following ʔuʔ clause. An example is húy cn čáy ‘I finished work.’
► 5 When there is a following ʔuʔ, the meaning of húy changes to ‘only, alone.’ An example is húy cn ʔuʔ čáy ‘I only work’ or ‘Only I work’ or ‘I work alone.’
► 6 We call this ʔuʔ the u-connector.
► 7 When the u-connector is followed by an adjective, as in the models, the whole construction is usually interpreted as a superlative.
► 8 The huy in this construction usually has the ʔuʔ- ‘contrast’ prefix. This prefix indicates a contrasting situation. For example, in the fist model I am contrasting myself with the others
► 9 Here are some new words to use in the exercises: nəxʷsčáŋkʷən ‘brave,’ čqánkʷs ‘stubborn, proud,’ nəxʷsqaʔyáɬ 'noisy'
 | níɬ nuʔčə́q tiə sčánnəxʷ. | ‘This salmon is biggest.’ |
 | ʔáwə. níɬ nuʔčə́q tíə. | ‘No. This one is biggest.’ |
| nəx̣čŋín ʔaʔ či sníɬs nuʔčə́q tíə. | ‘I think it’s this one that’s biggest.’ |
| čə́q tiə sčánnəxʷ x̣ʷnáŋ ʔaʔ tsíə. | ‘This salmon is as big as that one.’ |