o.n. after caput XX
Opus Novum after caput XX
The vocabulary are the irregular forms presented in the chapter
Comparison of Adjectives
Adjectives are compared in Latin in the same manner as in English.
There are three degrees of comparison:
1) Positive; 2) Comparative; 3) Superlative:
Examples 1) Positive: long pretty, obnoxious
2) Comparative: longer, prettier, more obnoxious
Or quite long, quite pretty, quite obnoxious
3) Superlative: longest, prettiest, most obnoxious
Or very long, very pretty, very obnoxious
1. Positive Adjectives:
The Positive Degree of Adjectives is the normal form: longus, -a, -um.
2. Comparative Adjectives
Adjectives are compared by
1. adding -ior (M.&F.) or -ius (Neuter nominative and accusative singular.) to the base. The base is taken from the genitive singular of the adjective.
2. The comparative adjective is then declined by adding third declension endings after the –ior.
Of course in the neuter:
the accusative singular will show the same ending as the nominative singular: -ius;
and the nominative and accusative plurals will use an –a.
3.Forms of the comparative adjective
Masc. & Fem. Neuter
1
o.n. after caput XX
1
o.n. after caput XX
Singular
1
o.n. after caput XX
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
Plural
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
longior
longioris
longiori
longiorem
longiore
longiores
longiorum
longioribus
longiores
longioribus
longius
longioris
longiori
longius
longiore
longiora
longiorum
longioribus
longiora
longioribus
1
o.n. after caput XX
1
o.n. after caput XX
4 Superlative adjectives
Superlative adjectives are formed by adding normal 1st and 2nd
declension endings (-us, -a, -um) to the –issim- base. The stem is taken from the
genitive singular:
longissimus, -a, -um brevissimus, -a, -um felicissimus, -a, -um
Translation of the Superlative:
In Latin the superlative is broader in meaning than in English. It can mean longest
(as in English); but also very long or too long.
Thus a canis saevus is savage dog,
A canis saevior is a more (or quite) savage dog.
And a canis saevissimus is a very savage dog.
5 Important exceptions
Comparison in -er:
All adjectives ending in -er form the superlative by adding
-rimus, -rima, -rimum to the nominative, masculine.
The comparative is regular.
pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum pulchrior, -ius pulcherrimus, -a, -um
sacer, sacra, sacrum sacrior, sacrius sacerrimus, -a, -um
The adjectives formally learned are:
aequus,-a,-um level, fair, calm, balanced. equal
altus,-a,-um high, deep
antiquus,-a,-um ancient, old
carus,-a,-um expensive, dear, beloved
clarus,-a,-um famous, bright
dignus,-a,-um (takes the ablative) proper, worthy of
dubius,-a,-um hesitant, doubtful, questionable
durus,-a,-um hard, solid, strong
exter(n)us,-a,-um foreign, from outside, from abroad
falsus,-a,-um false, untrue, lying
gratus,-a,-um pleasing, grateful
improbus,a,um morally bad, inferior, perverse
incertus,-a,-um unsure, undefined, uncertain
iustus,-a,-um fair, rightful, lawful, just
laetus,-a,-um happy, cheerful, prosperous
patrius,-a,-um native, relative to one’s father or one’s country
plenus,-a,-um (takes the ablative) full, filled with
propinquus,-a,-um near, neighboring
pulcher, pulchra pulchrum
tener,-a,-um tender
liber,-a,-um free (as in a person whō is not a slave)
meus,-a, um mine, of me
sacer,-cra,-crum consecrated to a god, set-apart
saevus,-a,-um savage, fierce
scelestus, -a, -um
stultus, -a, -um
superbus,-a,-um arrogant, haughty
suus,-a,-um his, her, its, their (reflecting the subject)
tūtus,-a,-um safe, secure, guarded
varius,-a,-um various, multi-colored, changeable
verus,-a,-um true, authentic, proper
vivus,-a,-um alive, living, life-like
6. Mark-up and translate these sentences with comparative and superlative adjectives
1. captivos falsissimos puella tenerior liberat.
2. Plenissimum auro carrum spectabunt agricolae propinquiores
3. cibos gratissimos agricola inprobior ad villam tutiorem per viam incertiorem movebat
4. circum villam antiquiorem puella laetissima aquam suam portabat
5. discipuli iustiores flebant
6. equus carrum ad flammam portabat
7. fortunam incertissimam tenebit familia
8. in insulam sacriorem intrat dea saevissima
9. librum clarissium stultus gratior habebat.
10. magister durior discipulas gratissimas crimina improbissima docuerat
11. Athleta liberrimus filium incertiorem iuvat.
12. navicula donis gratissimis plenissima circum mundum ibat
13. per caelum altissimum nauta incertior sidus clarius videbit
14. regina superba periculum propinquius ridebat
15. super flumen altius agricola incertissimus praemia antiquissima movebat.
16. Taurus ira plenior pueros falsissimos terrebit
17. Per iter aequius ad terram clariorem ibat poeta laetissimus.
18. vaccas carissimas curabat ancilla superbior
19. intrat villam meam per fenestras antiquiores flumen altius.
7 Irregular Adjectives
Some adjectives (as in English) are simply irregular and must be
memorized:
bonus, -a, -um melior, melius optimus, -a, -um
good better best
malus, -a, -um peior, peius pessimus, -a, -um
bad worse worst
magnus, -a, -um maior, maius maximus, -a, -um
big bigger biggest
parvus, -a, -um minor, minus minimus, -a, -um
small smaller smallest
multi, -ae, -a plures, plura plurimi, -ae, -a
many more, quite a few the most, very many
exter –tra, -trum exterior, exterius extremus, -a, -um
outside outward, outer furthest, outermost
inferus, -a,- um inferior, inferius infimus, -a, -um (imus)
below lower lowest
intus (adv) interior, interius intimus, -a, -um
inside inner inmost, deepest
-------- prior, prius primus, -a, -um
former first
-------- proprior, propius proximus, -a, -um
nearer, quite near nearest, next
superus, -a, um superior, superius summus, -a, -um
above higher highest
-------- ulterior, ulterius ultimus, -a, -um
farther farthest, last
multus, -a, -um plus(indeclinable) plurimus, -a, -um
much more the most
senex, senis senior --------
old older
8. Mark-up and translate this story with irregular comparative and superlative adjectives
1. P. Vergilius Maro Aeneam militem optimum Troiam reliquisse uxoremque priorem amisisse dicit.
2. Scribit poeta maximus Aeneam duxisse populos Troianos paucos quos gens Graeca pessima non necaverat ad silvam extremam ubi erat Cereri templum.
3. Sole extreme viso gens Troiana se sperabat fefellisse Graecos ut salutem ultimam haberet.
4. Vergilius Aeneam cum turba minore ex silva ad mare maximum processisse dixit.
5. Gens Troiana naves minimas invenisse et ex Troiae terris ulterioribus per undas plurimas navigavisse dicitur.
6. Aeneam naves ad insulam propriorem quam Troiae amicus tenebat pepulisse poeta tradidit.
7. Sed insula ab fugitivis tenta, dux herbam infimam sanguinem producere vidit, audivitque vocem propriorem ex terra dicere rumores peiores.
8. Insulae regem esse amicum pessimum clamavit vox magna, atque alium principem Troianum minorem necavisse.
9.Sperabat Aeneas damnum superius in Asia relictum esse, sed salutem minimam in sanguinis regno inventam esse sciebat, et ad insulam exteriorem fugit.
10. Insula sanguinis non iam visa, princeps maximus socios dolore summo occupatos esse credebat, et portum tutiorem invenire studuit.
11. Sed se offensam esse ab gente Troiana Iuno, deorum summa credidit et non poenam peiorem Aeneae ferre dubitabat.
12. Matrimoniae Dea ventos plurimos in montis spelunca maxima ab deo Aeolo seniore captos custoditosque esse sciebat.
13. Ad ventorum regnum interius properavit et dixit Aeolo deo seniori dea maxima: Audi! Dictum est ventos optimosque pessimosque abs te in spelunca interiore clausos esse (per) plurimos annos. Da mihi donum minus! Libera ventos superiores! Occupa Aeneae qui me fugit naves infimas! Frange eas et ad inferos omnes Troianos mitte!
9 Poems of Catullus
Catullus XIL
DISERTISSIME Romuli nepotum,
quot sunt quotque fuere, Marce Tulli,
quotque post aliis erunt in annis,
gratias tibi maximas Catullus
agit pessimus omnium poeta,
tanto pessimus omnium poeta,
quanto tu optimus omnium patronus.
Catullus XLIII
SALVE, nec minimo puella naso
nec bello pede nec nigris ocellis
nec longis digitis nec ore sicco
nec sane nimis elegante lingua,
decoctoris amica Formiani.
ten prouincia narrat esse bellam?
tecum Lesbia nostra comparatur?
o saeclum insapiens et infacetum!
10 Comparison of Adjectives in -eus or -ius:
Adjectives of the 1st and 2nd declension ending in -eus or -ius form the
comparative with magis and the superlative with maxime:
idoneus, -a, -um magis idoneus, -a, -um maxime idoneus, -a, -um
Adjectives in -ilis:
Six 3rd declension adjectives ending in -ilis form their superlative with -limus, -a, -um:
facilis, -e (easy) facilior, -ius facillimus, -a, -um
difficilis, -e (difficult) difficilior, -ius difficillimus, -a, -um
similis, -e (similar, like) similior, -ius simillimus, -a, -um
dissimilis, -e (unlike) dissimilior, -ius dissimillimus, -a, -um
gracilis, -e (slender) gracilior, -ius gracillimus, -a, -um
humilis, -e (humble, lowly) humilior, -ius humillimus, -a, -um
(We have not encountered 3rd declension adjectives yet)
11 Comparison with Quam
Latin can use quam (than) to compare two words. If quam is used, the
words compared are in the same case: Puellae diligentiores quam pueri sunt.
12 Ablative of Comparison
If the word to be compared is in the nominative or accusative, quam
may be omitted and the second word put in the ablative: Puellae
diligentiores pueris sunt.
13 Martial 1.109
Issa est passere nequior Catulli,
Issa est purior osculo columbae,
Issa est blandior omnibus puellis,
Issa est carior Indicis lapillis,
Issa est deliciae catella Publi. 5
Hanc tu, si queritur, loqui putabis;
sentit tristitiamque gaudiumque.
Collo nixa cubat capitque somnos,
ut suspiria nulla sentiantur;
et desiderio coacta uentris 10
gutta pallia non fefellit ulla,
sed blando pede suscitat toroque
deponi monet et rogat leuari.
Castae tantus inest pudor catellae,
ignorat Venerem; nec inuenimus 15
dignum tam tenera uirum puella.
Hanc ne lux rapiat suprema totam,
picta Publius exprimit tabella,
in qua tam similem uidebis Issam,
ut sit tam similis sibi nec ipsa. 20
Issam denique pone cum tabella:
aut utramque putabis esse ueram,
aut utramque putabis esse pictam.
14 Comparison of adverbs
With a positive adjective, the adverb is made by dropping the –us,-a,-um and using an –e
altus, -a, -um becomes alte, i.e., highly
clarus, -a, -um becomes clare, i.e., clearly,famously
The same goes for the superlative
Altissime, clarissime
The comparative in distinction, generally uses the nominative neuter singular form (-ius) as the adverb. We will look at that in the next chapter.
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