How to parse. ...

34 USES AND INFLECTIONS. [Par. 41-43.

Uses and Inflections of the Adjective.
41 I. USE. - The use of an Adjective is to point out,
qualify, or " enumerate," a certain Noun.'
42 II. INFLECTIONS.- There are three degrees (degree means step) in most Adjectives, e.g. "long."
(1) " Longer" of two things, i.e. long when
compared with one other thing. This we call the
Comparative degree.
(2) " Longest " of more than two. This is, as it
were, carried above the Comparative degree, and we
therefore call it the Superlative degree (super- above,
lat- carried).
In poetry the Superlative inflection is sometimes used,
without any notion of comparison, to mean " very."
" A little ere the mightiest Julius died."
(3) " Long," without any thought of comparison
at all, but simply and positively long. This is
called the Positive degree.
43 To form the Comparative and Superlative, add -
(1) -er, -est, to Positives of one syllable.2
(2),,,, two syllables ending
in -y, -le, -ow, -er.
See How to Tell,,&c., page 32.
"Enumerate" here means to answer the question how many?
or how much? before a Noun.
2 For changes in spelling, see Par. 268.