We see comparatives being made with "more" - more strong (as well as rendered as stronger). Is that OK? B. Can we innovate by saying, after making a serious statement, "At a seriouser level..." C. Can we say, "After the holy month I was slimmer but none the piouser." (As in none the wiser.) Otherwise you can never express this thought - "none the more pious"?
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3If you are using an unword in a way that is both deliberate and clear (my highest priority), then go for it. Piouser is funny.– Yosef BaskinCommented Jul 16, 2017 at 18:55
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4"More strong" is wrong. "Seriouser" is a joke that's at least a century and a half old. "Piouser" sounds awkward. Language does change over time, but not in any way some people might think.– RickyCommented Jul 16, 2017 at 18:55
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1Yes, as @Yosef Baskin said, piouser is funny, and if you intend to be funny, and your hearers know you intend to be funny, then use it. But don't use it if listeners might conclude that you don't what the accepted form is. Definitely don't say piouser in a job interview. :)– ab2Commented Jul 16, 2017 at 19:46
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4I see nothing wrong with "...none the more pious".– WS2Commented Jul 16, 2017 at 20:06
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2Questions like this remind me of the Agony Aunt columns of my youth. Girls would write asking whether it was all right to have sexual intercourse (or the preliminaries thereof) with their boyfriends and the Agony Aunt would always say no. They probably ignored the advice anyway. But if you do the same then be prepared to suffer the consequences. (Alternatively you could learn to use the language that exists and people understand rather than trying to invent your own.)– DavidCommented Jul 16, 2017 at 21:08
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1 Answer
Generally, it's preferable to use the comparative if there is one, and 'more' only if there isn't. There are no such words as 'seriouser' and 'piouser'.