DLACZEGO LEPSIEJSZY JEST LEPSZY OD LEPSZEGO? KILKA UWAG O KOMPARATYWNYCH FORMACH PRZYMIOTNIKÓW Z SUFIKSEM -EJSZY W POLSZCZYŹNIE

In Polish dialects, the longer formant -ejszy creates comparative forms of adjectives without semantic or formal limitations, which is mainly due to the expressiveness of utterances and the tendency to avoid clusters of consonants on the border of morphemes that are difficult to pronounce, for example: ciężejszy instead of cięższy (heavier), prościejszy instead of prostszy (simpler), twardziejszy instead of twardszy (harder). Dialect forms of superlative adjectives with the formant -ejszy function in the general Polish language next to regular forms such as ładniejszy (prettier), wygodniejszy (more comfortable). They perform a stylistic function in literary and journalistic works. In the colloquial variant of the language, they are used mainly to achieve a humoristic effect and increase expressiveness of an utterance. The form lepsiejszy (better) occurs quite frequently. Its creation and functioning in Polish can be caused not only by stylistic, phonetic and inflectional conditions, but also by semantic factors connected with the need of a more precise expression of intensity of a feature. The analysis of the usage of the form lepsiejszy in colloquial conversations leads to the conclusion that there is a need today to express the intensiveness of a feature more precisely, i.e. an elevated degree of its intensity. It seems that the common form lepszy (better) has been somehow devaluated and the need to find new means of expression has appeared.