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The Long Story Behind English Comparatives: From Old‑English '-er' to Modern 'More'
Episode 210
Published 6 days, 7 hours ago
Description
Explore how English’s comparative forms evolved from the Old‑English suffixes -er and -ost to the modern ‘more X’ construction, tracing phonological shifts, social pressures, printing standardization, and dictionary influence. The episode traces key moments—from Chaucer’s patchwork usage to Samuel Johnson’s codification—and explains why those changes still echo in everyday speech.
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