Elative

Quick meaning: Elative is a noun meaning In Semitic languages, the “adjective degree of superiority”. In some languages such as Arabic, the concepts of comparative and superlative degree of an adjective are merged into a single form, the elative. How this form is understood or translated depends upon context and definiteness. In the absence of comparison, the elative conveys the notion of “greatest”, “supreme.”.

Meaning

In Semitic languages, the “adjective degree of superiority”. In some languages such as Arabic, the concepts of comparative and superlative degree of an adjective are merged into a single form, the elative. How this form is understood or translated depends upon context and definiteness. In the absence of comparison, the elative conveys the notion of “greatest”, “supreme.”.

More Meanings

1. (grammar) In Finno-Ugric languages, one of the locative cases, expressing “out of,” or “from” as in Finnish talosta, Hungarian házból (“out of the house”). Its opposite is the illative case (“into”). In Finnish, the case form is used also to express "out of" or "proximity" in a figurative sense which in English is often conveyed by the word "about".
2. (rare) Exalted; feeling elation.

Example Sentences

The elative of كَبِير (kabīr, “big”) is أَكْبَر (ʔakbar, “bigger/biggest, greater/greatest”).

Thither shall gratitude's feelings elative wend, / Bath'd in the dew of the soul's lofty swelling.

The first case is that of E. M., 37 years of age, laborer, who on admission was elative, over-talkative, had a well marked feeling of well being.

whereas if one thinks instead that it is inflicted by others, then the elative feeling is one of masochism, which is quite rightly deemed a disease.

Word Forms

• elatives

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include degree, superlative, superlativeness, super-superlative, supersuperlativeness, supersuperlatives.

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