-abb

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

Hungarian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɒbː]
• Rhymes: -ɒbː

Suffix

-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

• (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

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

• Category:Hungarian comparative adjectives

See also

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes