The Latin bonus – melior – optimus
The Latin bonus – melior – optimus

Summary/Abstract: The etymology of the adj. melior given in etymological dictionaries is unsatisfactory not only from the formal point of view and for the lack of unambiguous equivalents, but mainly because it does not address the non-standard fact of suppletion at the level comparative vs. superlative (optimus). The superlative is regularly derived from the comparative. The article therefore considers the existence of types of qualities that can be expressed as being of higher degree on the scale (comparative), but not of the maximum (superlative); based on this assumption and the formal analysis alternative etymologies of the adj. melior are given.

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