Different versions of より?


Here is one definition for より:

> より (adv,prt) (1) from; out of; since; at; (2) than; (3) other than; except;
> but; (4) more;

I see that one of the definitions of this word is "more". Is より一層 a different
word altogether, or does it derive its より from the one defined above?

> より一層 (よりいっそう) (exp,adv) (1) still more; even more; much more; all the more;
> further; (exp,adj-no) (2) increased; greater

Are all these examples of より the same word? How are they different from one
another?

1.

> Ａのほうが、Ｂより大きい夢です
>
> A is a bigger dream than B.

2.

> Ａは、より大きい夢です
>
> A is a bigger dream.

3.

> Ａは、より一層大きい夢です
>
> A is an even bigger dream.(?)

4.

> Ａより大きい夢です
>
> A bigger dream than A. (?)

Are these translations correct? In reference to how I translated number 4, see
this example:

> 外国人ですから顔のつくりも体も日本人より大きいですが、だからといって私の雰囲気が怖いとは、とても思えません。
>
> Because I'm a foreigner, my facial structure and my body are relatively big
> as compared to a Japanese, but I don't think I have a scary aura about me at
> all.




1 and 4 are the same. They are a particle placed after noun phrases, meaning
roughly the same as the preposition "than" in English (which some will claim
has to be a conjunction, but let's not go there), i.e. it makes the noun
phrase a basis for comparison.

2 and 3 are the same. They are an adverb placed before adjectives, meaning
roughly the same as the English "more" or "-er", i.e. it turns the adjective
into its comparative form.

What might be confusing you is that Japanese doesn't need to use a
"comparative form" of adjectives in comparisons, i.e. you can say

> AはBより大きい

In this case より attaches to B and 大きい isn't modified.

You _could_ also say

> AはBより、より大きい

which I guess more closely mirrors the e.g. English construction, but there's
no reason for the two よりs, and this sounds awkward (while maybe not
ungrammatical).




1 and 4 are the same. They are a particle placed after noun phrases, meaning
roughly the same as the preposition "than" in English (which some will claim
has to be a conjunction, but let's not go there), i.e. it makes the noun
phrase a basis for comparison.

2 and 3 are the same. They are an adverb placed before adjectives, meaning
roughly the same as the English "more" or "-er", i.e. it turns the adjective
into its comparative form.

What might be confusing you is that Japanese doesn't need to use a
"comparative form" of adjectives in comparisons, i.e. you can say

> AはBより大きい

In this case より attaches to B and 大きい isn't modified.

You _could_ also say

> AはBより、より大きい

which I guess more closely mirrors the e.g. English construction, but there's
no reason for the two よりs, and this sounds awkward (while maybe not
ungrammatical).

