The niceties of German grammar
Language Log 2025-10-11
Summary:
Recently I came upon the following quotation from the Lutheran theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1905-1945): Dummheit ist ein gefährlicherer Feind des Guten als Bosheit [Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the Good than Malice] As soon as I saw "gefährlicherer", I thought it must be a typo or a grammatical error, but that's how it's quoted […]