Elative (gradation)
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In Semitic linguistics, the elative (Template:Langx Template:Transliteration, literally meaning "noun of preference") is a stage of gradation that can be used to express comparatives or superlatives. The Arabic elative has a special inflection similar to that of colour and defect adjectives but differs in the details. To form an elative, the consonants of the adjective's root are placed in the transfix Template:Transliteration (or Template:Transliteration if the second and third root consonants are the same), which generally inflects for case but not for gender or number.[1] Furthermore, elatives belong to the diptote declension. E.g. Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration 'small' derives the elative Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration 'smaller', Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration 'new' derives Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration 'newer', Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration 'rich' (root Template:Transliteration) derives Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration 'richer'.
However, there are several words that have particular feminine and plural forms when the elative is prefixed with the definite article,[2] although the agreement is not always observed in modern usage.[3] The feminine singular in such cases takes the transfix CuCCā, the masculine plural takes ’aCCaCūna or ’aCāCiC, and the feminine plural takes CuCCayāt or CuCaC. These feminine and plural forms had much more extensive use in ancient poetry.[4] E.g. The adjective Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration 'big' changes to Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration in the default elative, and then Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration in the feminine singular, Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration in the masculine plural and Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration in the feminine plural.
The adjectives Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration 'other' and Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Transliteration 'first' also take elative forms even though they do not have comparative meaning.