greatest, least wise_.

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES.

_More_ and _most_ form the comparative and superlative degrees by
increasing the positive; and _less_ and _least_, by diminishing it.

Comparison by increasing the positive

_Pos._ _Comp._ _Sup._
great, greater, greatest.
wise, wiser, wisest.
holy, more holy most holy.
frugal, more frugal most frugal.

Comparison by diminishing the positive.

_Pos._ _Comp._ _Sup._
wise, less wise least wise.
holy, less holy, least holy.
frugal, less frugal, least frugal.

NUMERAL ADJECTIVES.

Words used in counting, are called _numeral adjectives_ of the
_cardinal_ kind; as, _one, two, three, four, twenty, fifty,_ &c.

Words used in numbering, are called _numeral adjectives_ of the
_ordinal_ kind; as, _first, second, third, fourth, twentieth, fiftieth,_
&c.

NOTE. The words _many, few_, and _several_, as they always refer to
an indefinite number, may be properly called _numeral adjectives_ of
the indefinite kind.

NOTES.

1. The simple word, or Positive, becomes the Comparative by adding
_r_, or _er_; and the Positive becomes the Superlative, by adding
_st_, or _est_, to the end of it; as, Pos. wise, Com. wise_r_, Sup.
wise_st_; rich, rich_er_, rich_est_; bold, bold_er_, bold_est_. The
adverbs, _more_ and _most, less_ and _least_, when placed before the
adjective, have the same effect; as, Pos. wise, Com. _more_ wise,
Sup. _most_ wise; Pos. wise, Com. _less_ wise, Sup. _least_ wise.

2. _Monosyllables_ are generally compared by adding _er_ and _est;
dissyllables, trisyllables_, &c. by _more_ and _most_; as, mild,
milder, mildest; frugal, more frugal, most frugal; virtuous, more
virtuous, most virtuous. Dissyllables ending in _y_; as, happy,
lovely; and in _le_ after a mute; as, able, ample; and dissyllables
accented on the last syllable; as, discreet, polite; easily admit of
_er_ and _est_; as, happi_er_, happi_est_; polit_er_, _polit_est_.
Words of more than two syllables very seldom admit of these
terminations.

3. When the positive ends in _d_, or _t_, preceded by a _single_
vowel, the consonant is doubled in forming the comparative and
superlative degrees; as red, _redder, reddest_; hot, _hotter,
hottest_.

4. In some words the superlative