Literary notes about Comparative (AI summary)
The term “comparative” has been used in literature both as a methodological marker and as a descriptive tool. In many scholarly works, it appears in the names of entire fields of study—such as comparative anatomy ([1], [2]), comparative religion ([3], [4]), and comparative philology ([5], [6])—highlighting its role in systematic investigations that examine similarities and differences across languages, cultures, or species. Meanwhile, in literary and rhetorical contexts, “comparative” serves as an adjective to indicate relative degrees or differences, as in phrases like “comparative intellect” ([7]), “comparative darkness” ([8]), or even “comparative clemency” ([9]). These varied uses reveal how the word has evolved to articulate both structured academic methods and nuanced qualitative descriptions, underscoring its adaptability across diverse genres and disciplines.
- This helpful associate is the science of comparative anatomy.
— from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - When we approach this task, we find an auxiliary of the utmost importance in the comparative anatomy and embryology of two lower animal-forms.
— from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie - Comparative religion, 4-6 .
— from The Religions of Japan, from the Dawn of History to the Era of Méiji by William Elliot Griffis - 17 A study of this subject and of comparative religion, is of immediate practical benefit to the Christian teacher.
— from The Religions of Japan, from the Dawn of History to the Era of Méiji by William Elliot Griffis - As to writing Greek and Latin verse, I do not maintain that a knowledge of Comparative Philology will help us much.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - From that time dates the study of Sanskrit, and it was the study of Sanskrit which formed the foundation of Comparative Philology.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Others have supposed it a question of comparative intellect; others still, of sphere.
— from History of Woman Suffrage, Volume I - I soon grew accustomed to this bizarre arrangement, likewise to the comparative darkness surrounding us.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - In a very subtle way, Master melted into comparative clemency.
— from Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
