20.2. Comparative constructions: The ÁN¸ Comparative
Models
| 1) | ÁN¸ U¸ ĆEḴ TŦE PUS; NIȽ ĆEḴ ¸E TŦE SḴAXE¸. | ‘The cat is bigger than the dog.’ |
| 2) | ÁN¸ U¸ ĆEḴ TŦE PUS; ĆEL¸ÁU¸NEṈ TŦE SḴAXE¸. | ‘The cat is bigger than the dog.’ |
‣ 1 This is the first of three comparative constructions found in SENĆOŦEN. We will call this the ÁN¸ Comparative.
‣ 2 This is called the ‘ÁN¸ Comparative’ because its most characteristic feature is that the word ÁN¸ ‘very’ is the first word in the sentence. This word is introduced in the chapter on U¸-class auxiliaries (§10.1).
‣ 3 The ÁN¸ Comparative consists of two sentences linked together without a conjunction. This is shown in the models by using a semicolon (;) between the two linked sentences. The item being compared has light highlight, and the item being compared to has the dark highlight.
‣ 4 There are two variants of the ÁN¸ Comparative. These are shown in the two model sentences. The beginning of each variant is the same. Here is the first part of both model sentences with its literal translation:
ÁN¸ U¸ ĆEḴ TŦE PUS. ‘The cat is very big.’
‣ 5 In the first variant, the second part begins with NIȽ. Here is the second part of model 1 with its literal translation:
NIȽ ĆEḴ ¸E TŦE SḴAXE¸. ‘It’s big to the dog.’
‣ 6 The combination of these two ideas—‘The cat is very big’ and ‘It’s big to the dog’—one immediately after the other, gives us the comparative translation ‘The cat is bigger than the dog.’ Here is the formula for the First Variant of the ÁN¸ Comparative:
ÁN¸ U¸ QUALITY X; NIȽ QUALITY ¸E Y
‣ 7 For the second variant of the ÁN¸ Comparative, which is shown in model 2, the second part of the sentence begins with ĆEL¸ÁU¸NEṈ ‘to be surpassed, exceeded.’ Here is that second part with its literal translation:
ĆEL¸ÁU¸NEṈ TŦE SḴAXE¸. ‘The dog is surpassed.’
‣ 8 The combination of these two ideas—‘The cat is very big’ and ‘The dog is surpassed’—one immediately after the other, gives us the comparative translation ‘The cat is bigger than the dog.’ Here is the formula for the Second Variant of the ÁN¸ Comparative:
ÁN¸ U¸ QUALITY X; ĆEL¸ÁUNEṈ Y
 | ÁN¸ U¸ ĆEḴ TŦE NE PUS; | ‘My cat is bigger than |
| NIȽ ĆEḴ ¸E TŦE EN¸ SḴAXE¸. | your dog.’ | |
 | EWE. ĆEḴ TŦE NE SḴAXE¸ | ‘No. My dog is as big |
| X̱EN¸IṈ¸ E TŦE STIḴIU¸. | as a horse.’ | |
| ÁN¸ U¸ ĆEḴ TŦE NE PUS; | ‘My cat is bigger than |
| NIȽ ĆEḴ ¸E TŦE STIḴIU¸. | a horse.’ | |
| ÁN¸ U¸ MEMIM¸EN¸ TŦE EN¸ STIḴIU¸. | ‘Your horse is very small.’ |
| 20.2A. Translate each of the following into English. 1. ÁN¸ U¸ ÍY¸ TŦE EN¸ SȻÁ¸; NIȽ ÍY¸ ¸E TŦE SȻÁ¸S. 2. ÁN¸ U¸ X̱EṈ TŦE STIḴIU¸; NIȽ X̱EṈ ¸E TŦE SḴAXE¸. 3. ÁN¸ U¸ QOMQEM TŦE NE MÁN; NIȽ QOMQEM ¸E TŦE EN¸ MÁN. 4. ÁN¸ U¸ X̱EṈ; NIȽ X̱EṈ ¸E TŦE SMÍYEŦ. 5. ÁN¸ U¸ ÍY¸ TŦE NE S¸IȽEN; NIȽ ÍY¸ ¸E TŦE EN¸ S¸IȽEN. | 20.2B. Translate each of the following into SENĆOŦEN. 1. That deer is bigger than my dog. 2. I’m faster than you. 3. Is your father older than mine? 4. My cat is stronger than your dog. 5. That boy is slower than my grandmother. |
| 20.2C. Make four SENĆOŦEN sentences using the ÁN¸ comparative. | |