In most russian grammar books there is a rule saying that definite article must be used with superlative adjectives. However from time to time I see people using indefinite article. For example, a title of the film "A Most Wanted Man". Can somebody explain this?
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2It varies from the fixed phrase, and therefore draws attention, which is the point of a title. Also, there is a secondary intensive sense of most which just means very, e.g, That's a most attractive colour on you.– John LawlerCommented Aug 31, 2014 at 17:28
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2It's a good rule of thumb; it usually, but not always, makes sense not to use an indefinite article with a superlative. 'A highest mountain', 'a biggest dog', 'a fastest car' would be extremely unusual. But especially with 'most', the construction can work and be very idiomatic: 'a most desirable dress', 'a most delicious meal' ... You can consider 'a most ...' to be the equivalent of 'an extremely ...' here. With 'A Most Wanted Man', the usage sounds a little off-key, quirky: that adds punch to the title.– Edwin AshworthCommented Aug 31, 2014 at 17:33
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Vaguely related: “May be the best” or “May be a best” or “Might be”?– Scott - Слава УкраїніCommented Sep 1, 2014 at 0:57
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I'm not sure I understand the Russian grammar rule. Would books that say that "the" must be used with a superlative adjective prohibit a sentence such as "It's a perfect day"?– Sven YargsCommented Sep 1, 2014 at 6:48
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@SvenYargs Is perfect a superlative adjective? It seems like the rule is referring to adjectives (or adverb+adjective phrases) that indicate the extreme of a range, such as best, worst, or most XXX. perfect is an absolute, not the end of a range (something is either perfect or it isn't).– BarmarCommented Sep 1, 2014 at 7:14
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2 Answers
Generally, no. As mentioned in the comments, phrases like "a tallest mountain" or "a biggest dog" do not sound sensible.
However, the use of "most" as an adverb does not necessarily imply the superlative; it can be merely intensive. From Merriam-Webster on most:
1: to the greatest or highest degree ... (the most challenging job he ever had)
2: to a very great degree (was most persuasive)
The first definition implies the superlative, but the second definition is merely an intensifier. The phrase "a most wanted man" (by the second definition) is equivalent in meaning to "a very wanted man".
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1Or more simply, here most wanted is an adjective describing one who is on the Most Wanted list.– BohemianCommented May 17, 2018 at 6:51
The superlative degree has two meanings: the highest degree of manifestation of the attribute ('the most') and a high degree ('a most').
In the first case, a limiter is needed, e.g. She is the most beautiful girl in the class/in the world/ of the year/I have met (i.e., a circumstance of time, place, designation of a group of people or a subordinate clause (often in the perfect tense); the limiter may be contextual).
In the second case there is no limiter, e.g. She is a most beautiful girl. (to a very high extent, extraordinally). Here the stress is on the article, i.e. it is pronounced as /eɪ/ (strong form).
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answered Jan 13, 2023 at 15:11
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Welcome to the EL&U. This site encourages users to provide supporting reference for the information they give. See the help center.– fevCommented Jan 13, 2023 at 15:35