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In a previous post regarding einiges in the sentence:

Ich muss zugeben, Sie sind um einiges listiger, als ich dachte.

I must admit, you are a lot(?) more cunning than I thought.

choXer explained that einiges has the root einig-, with the meaning of "a lot" and is in the Neutrum gender.

I have not been able to work out why einiges has to be Neutrum, since cunning as a noun (die List) is feminine and it is not clear what else einiges is referring to. Could someone please explain the logic of einig- taking the Neutrum gender?

Source:

Lustiges Taschenbuch - Der Fluch der Hexe,(LTB 538), pg.67

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    I can't see a noun in 'listig sein', but an Adjektiv, and 'einiges' refers to en amount, as in duden.de/rechtschreibung/einige, standing alone without an object. Like in Q: "Wieviel ?" A: "Einiges !".
    – user41853
    Commented Jun 12, 2021 at 17:13

1 Answer 1

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"Einiges" is not an adjective, it is a indefinite pronoun. These kinds of words do not "take" a gender from a related word, they have their own gender, which in this case is neuter.

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  • This explanation is a bit misleading. Pronouns and related nouns need of course be congruent in gender, number, and sometimes even case - in general. In the example, however, we have an indefinite pronoun, there is no related noun, so no congruency.
    – tofro
    Commented Jun 12, 2021 at 16:48
  • @tofro: thanks. fixed it.
    – Doc Brown
    Commented Jun 12, 2021 at 16:57

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