plural of _this_; and in Modern English we speak of _these_ as the
plural of _this_, and _those_ as the plural of _that_.


COMPARISON.

155. Comparison is an inflection not possessed by nouns and
pronouns: it belongs to adjectives and adverbs.

[Sidenote: _Meaning of comparison._]

When we place two objects side by side, we notice some differences
between them as to size, weight, color, etc. Thus, it is said that a
cow is _larger_ than a sheep, gold is _heavier_ than iron, a sapphire
is _bluer_ than the sky. All these have certain qualities; and when we
compare the objects, we do so by means of their qualities,--cow and
sheep by the quality of largeness, or size; gold and iron by the
quality of heaviness, or weight, etc.,--but not the same degree, or
amount, of the quality.

The degrees belong to any beings or ideas that may be known or
conceived of as possessing quality; as, "untamed thought, great,
giant-like, enormous;" "the commonest speech;" "It is a nobler valor;"
"the largest soul."

Also words of quantity may be compared: for example, "more matter,
with less wit;" "no fewer than a hundred."


[Sidenote: _Words that cannot be compared._]