§ 239. _Either_, _neither_, _other_, _whether_.--It has just been stated that the general fundamental idea common to all these forms is that of _choice between one of two objects in the way of an alternative_. Thus far the termination -er in _either_, &c., is the termination -er in the true comparatives, _brav-er_, _wis-er_, &c. _Either_ and _neither_ are common pronouns. _Other_, like _one_, is a pronoun capable of taking the plural form of a substantive (_others_), and also that of the genitive case (_the other's money, the other's bread_). _Whether_ is a pronoun in the almost obsolete form _whether_ ( = _which_) _of the two do you prefer_, and a conjunction in sentences like _whether will you do this or not_? The use of the form _others_ is recent. "_They are taken out of the way as all other._"--Job. "_And leave their riches for other._"--Psalms. * * * * * CHAPTER X. THE COMPARATIVE DEGREE. § 240. There are four leading facts here,-- 1. _The older form in -s._ In English we say old-er, bett-er, sweet-er; in Old High German they similarly said, alt-iro, bets-iro, suats-iro; but in Mœso-Gothic the forms were ald-iza, bat-iza, sut-iza. 2. _Adverbs_ are susceptible of comparison; e.g.--_Come as soon as you can, but do not come sooner than is convenient_. 3. The Anglo-Saxon comparison of the adverbs is different from that of the adjectives; there being one form in -re and -este, another in -or and -ost respectively. Now the first of these was the form taken by adjectives: as _se scearp-re sweord_ = _the sharper sword_, and _se scearp-este sword_ = _the sharpest sword_. The second, on the other hand, was the form taken by adverbs: as, _se sweord scyrð scearp-or_ = _the sword cuts sharper_, and _se sweord scyrð scearp-ost_ = _the sword cuts sharpest_. 4. In the Anglo-Saxon, the following words exhibit a change of vowel. _Positive._ _Comparative._ _Superlative._ Lang, Lengre, Lengest. _Long._ Strang, Strengre, Strengest. _Strong._ Geong, Gyngre, Gyngest. _Young._ Sceort, Scyrtre, Scyrtest. _Short._ Heáh, Hyrre, Hyhst. _High._ Eald, Yldre, Yldest. _Old._ § 241. Now the fourth of these facts explains the present forms _elder_ and _eldest_, the comparatives and superlative of _old_, besides which there are the regular forms _old-er_ and _old-est_; between which there is, however, a difference in meaning--_elder_ being used as a substantive, and having a plural form, _elders_.