Adjective without a substantive

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August 12th, 2008, 04:35 PM
radomir

Adjective without a substantive

A Russian soldier is talking about his experience in a KL in WWII as a KG /PW. He was ordered to carry the feed for the people in a barrack, where almost everyone was sick. He says: "Дали мне помощника из этого барака, того, что был посильней. И начали мы носить ....".
I have partly translated: "They gave me an assistant from this barrack, this one that was stronger". But I am not at all OK with this version. посильный means "possible", not the comparative degree "сильнее". Apart from this, it is here like a fem. adjec. Where is the noun qualified? I suppose this is творительный падеж.
Thank you
August 12th, 2008, 04:51 PM
Lampada

Да, это два разных слова.

1. Сильный - сильнее/сильней - сильнейший = самый сильный = сильнее всех.
Посильнее/посильней = немного сильнее.
(Приставка по- придаёт прилагательному уменьшительный оттенок, смягчает).

Там все были больные и он тоже, но в помощники его выбрали, потому что он выглядел посильней других.

(Не знаю, по-моему здесь посильней просто сравнительная степень, а не творительный падеж.)

2. Посильный (груз) = груз по силам (кому-то) = A load (weight) chosen according to smbd's strength.

Это мне по силам = Я смогу это сделать (может быть что-угодно) или Я смогу это поднять и нести.
August 12th, 2008, 05:22 PM
radomir

Tks

Thank you for your very interesting answer. However I have the prefix по- with various meanings as for verbs, I hadn't seen this as "only a little more..." in comparative. Surely I shall find it somewhere finally. You are very wise :lol: !
August 12th, 2008, 05:28 PM
Lampada

Re: Tks

Quote:

Originally Posted by radomir

Thank you for your very interesting answer. However I have the prefix по- with various meanings as for verbs, I hadn't seen this as "only a little more..." in comparative. Surely I shall find it somewhere finally. You are very wise :lol: !

Я добавила слово прилагательному в мой ответ. По- с глаголами - это что-то другое.
August 12th, 2008, 06:35 PM
TATY

Re: Tks

Quote:

Originally Posted by radomir

Thank you for your very interesting answer. However I have the prefix по- with various meanings as for verbs, I hadn't seen this as "only a little more..." in comparative. Surely I shall find it somewhere finally. You are very wise :lol: !

The comparative ending - ее сan be shortened to -ей.
August 12th, 2008, 06:59 PM
radomir

It was clear

Your answer has cleared both the meaning of the phrase and the "ей".
I note down the mention of Taty, this shortening: сильнее = сильнейэ > сильней. Tks.