See also: obb, óbb, and ÖBB

Hungarian edit

Etymology edit

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

Suffix edit

-obb

  1. (comparative suffix) -er, more (added to adjectives and certain adverbs to form the comparative)
    nagy (big) + ‎-obb → ‎nagyobb (bigger)

Usage notes edit

  • (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 edit

Inflection (stem in -a-, back harmony)
singular plural
nominative -obb -obbak
accusative -obbat -obbakat
dative -obbnak -obbaknak
instrumental -obbal -obbakkal
causal-final -obbért -obbakért
translative -obbá -obbakká
terminative -obbig -obbakig
essive-formal -obbként -obbakként
essive-modal
inessive -obban -obbakban
superessive -obbon -obbakon
adessive -obbnál -obbaknál
illative -obba -obbakba
sublative -obbra -obbakra
allative -obbhoz -obbakhoz
elative -obból -obbakból
delative -obbról -obbakról
ablative -obbtól -obbaktól
non-attributive
possessive - singular
-obbé -obbaké
non-attributive
possessive - plural
-obbéi -obbakéi

Derived terms edit

See also edit