The subject of history of English

29.Middle English Adjective The paradigm of the adjective in Middle English is simplified drastically. The endings become scarce. The category of gender is lost, for the nouns no longer have it. The adjective no longer agrees with the noun in case, the only remaining endings being - the plural form having the ending -e and the remains of the weak declension, the weak form (the one preceded by an article) -e : young kniht /the younge kniht; younge knihtes/the younge knihtes smale fowles maken melodie (small birds sing /make melody) ( strong,plural); a voice he had as smal as has a goot (he had as small voice like that of a goat) (strong, singular)

But some of the adjectives had the very ending -e as a result of levelling of the vowels at the and, and so such adjectives as grene were already unchangeable; in the plural the strong and the weak forms also coincided.

The forms of the suffixes of the degrees of comparison were reduced ~er, -est :glad - gladder – gladdest; greet - gretter – grettest

His voys was murier (his voice was merrier...)

Lucifer, brightest of aungels alle (Lucifer, the brightest of all angels)

Some adjectives retained a mutated vowel they had had in Old English: old - elder – eldest; long - lenger – lengest; strong - stregner –strengest

The eldeste lady of hem alle spak (the lady, the oldest of them all, spoke).

Some preserve former suppletivity, and their degrees of comparison look like this: good - bettre - best ;muchel - more - most, mest

She may have bettre fortune than yow semeth (She may have better fortune that it seems to you)

Some adjectives, especially of foreign origin, are found in a form that came into wider usage only later, that is they may be associated with the adverb moore/most

Moore delicaat, moore pompous of array, Moore proud was nevere emperour than he... (There never was an emperor more delicate, more pompous in clothing and more proud...).