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meaning - Explaining the comparative form of "numb"



The most common definition I have of numb is:




  1. "Deprived of the power of sensation."




  2. "Deprived of feeling or responsiveness."




These definitions show up in nearly the same form in multiple dictionaries, yet I see comparative and superlative forms "number" and "numbest" listed as well. I understand numb to mean complete deprivation of feeling, and so here's my question.


I had a student write the sentence: His fingers got number the longer he stayed outside. She asked if it was correct (because the spelling looked funny to her; it looked like number, as in "the number seven"), and I told her that numb didn't need a comparative form because it implied complete lack of sensation. I told her she could phrase a sentence His fingers slowly became numb... to signify that he was getting colder, but that she should not use numb in a comparative or superlative sense. Can somebody explain to me the reasoning for the comparative and superlative forms of this word. As well, I have the same problem with "wet, wetter, wettest."



Answer



There are two issues involved here.



  1. The pronunciation of final nasal-stop clusters like /-mb/ and /-ŋɡ/ with suffixes.

  2. The use of the comparative and superlative degrees, and their meanings.


(1) is the reason why the spelled word number (meaning more numb) "looked funny". In print, there is already a word spelled that way, though it's pronounced differently, so most people wouldn't notice it in real language, only in writing:



  • This is number /'nəmbər/ twenty-seven.

  • My left ring finger is number /'nəmər/ than my left index finger.


In other words, the one number /'nəmbər/ doesn't rhyme with the other number /'nəmər/. The same is true for singer, which doesn't rhyme with finger. And for the same reason; English words ending in /mb/ or /ŋɡ/ dropped the final stop and kept the nasal. Except /nd/, though that's elided to /n/ now most of the time; however, that isn't reflected in the spelling. Except on the internet.


There's even another minimal pair, both spelled longer:



  • The adjective long /lɔŋ/ plus the comparative -er produces /'lɔŋɡər/ 'more long', with /ɡ/

  • The verb long plus the agentive -er produces /'lɔŋər/ 'one who longs', without /ɡ/


That's issue (1).


Issue (2) has been adequately dealt with in the comments; the initial confusion seems to be due to the common mistake of expecting literal dictionary definitions of grammatical terms to say anything useful about how grammar actually works. Dictionaries list some meanings of some words in some contexts; but they don't tell you about grammar. For that, one consults a Grammar, not a Dictionary.


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