The Three Degrees of Adjectives

The Three Degrees of Adjectives Positive Comparative Superlative What do these terms mean? - etymological origin o positive: ponō, ponere, posuī, positum o comparative: comparō (1) from cum (prep.) + parō o superlative: superlātus, -a, -um, from super (prep.) + ferrō, ferre, tulī, lātum - translation of the various degrees in English Positive Comparative Superlative good better best rather, too good very good large larger largest rather, too large very large interesting more interesting most interesting rather, too interesting very interesting - what about: o interestingest? o more good? How do we “compare” adjectives in Latin? - comparatives are almost all 3rd declension adjectives o mostly, take the positive base and add –ior/-ius o decline like 3rd decl. regular nouns (-no “i” stems) - superlatives are all 2-1-2 adjectives o the norm is the positive base + –issimus, -a, -um o actual endings vary based on the positive

1 The Three Degrees of Adjectives NORMAL: Positive Comparative Superlative N: latus, -a, -um latior, latius latissimus, -a, -um G: latī, -ae, -ī latiōris, latiōris latissimī, -ae, -ī N: magicus, -a, -um magicior, magicius magicissimus, -a, -um G: magicī, -ae, -ī magiciōris, magiciōris magicissimī, -ae, -ī N: amātus, -a, -um amātior, amātius amātissimus, -a, -um G: amātī, -ae, -ī amātiōris, amātiōris amātissimī, -ae, -ī N: audāx audācior, audācius audācissimus, -a, -um G: audācis audāciōris, audāciōris audācissimī, -ae, -ī N: utilis, utile utilior, utilius utilissimus, -a, -um G: utilis, utilis utiliōris, utiliōris utilissimī, -ae, -ī

-ER ADJECTIVES Positive Comparative Superlative Positive Masc., Nom. S. FORM + -rimus, -a, -um miser, misera, miserum miserior, miserius miserrimus, -a, -um celer, celeris, celere pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum

ācer, ācris, ācre

2 The Three Degrees of Adjectives Special -ILIS ADJECTIVES: “ SEX ilis” Positive Comparative Superlative Positive Base + -limus, -a, -um similis, simile similior, similius simillimus, -a, -um dissimilis, dissimile facilis, facile difficilis, difficile gracilis, gracile humilis, humile

-IUS/-EUS ADJECTIVES Positive Comparative Superlative magis + positive degree maximē + positive degree idoneus, -a, -um magis idoneus, -a, -um maximē idoneus, -a, -um (suitable) aureus, -a, -um (golden) anxius, -a, -um (upset, anxious) noxius, -a, -um (harmful)

3 The Three Degrees of Adjectives Positive Comparative Superlative senex senior maior nātū1 maximus nātū old (aged) older oldest antīquus antīquior, -ius antīquissimus, -a, -um old (fashioned) older oldest vetus vetustior, -ius veterrimus, -a, –um old (venerable) older oldest

1 – nātū – ablative of specification or respect, i.e. “with respect to birth”

4 The Three Degrees of Adjectives Irregular ADJECTIVE COMPARISONS (vid. 199)

Positive Comparative Superlative bonus, bona, bonum melior, melius optimus, -a, -um good better best, very good (bona fide, bonhomie) (ameliorate) (optimist, optimal) malus, mala, malum peior, peius pessimus, -a, -um bad worse worst (malevolent, malice) (pejorative) (pessimistic, pessimism) magnus, -a, -um maior, maius maximus, -a, -um great, big greater, bigger greatest, biggest (magnify, magnanimous) (major, majority) (maximum, maximize) parvus, parva, parvum minor, minus minimus, -a, -um small smaller smallest (parvity) (minor, minority) (minimal, de minimis) Singular “Much” v. Plural “Many” multus, -a, -um (sing.) plus, plūris, n. plūrimus, -a, -um much more (NOUN + partitive most, very much genitive) N.B. Keep in mind the irregular plural comparison of multus, vidē infrā multī, -ae, -a (plural) plūrēs, plūra plūrimī, -ae, -a many more most, very many

5 The Three Degrees of Adjectives Defective ADJECTIVE COMPARISONS (vid. p. 199)

Positive Comparative Superlative exterior, exterius extrēmus, -a, -um outer outermost, farthest, last, end of interior, interius intimus, -a, -um inner inmost, innermost superior, superius summus, -a, -um higher highest, top of suprēmus, -a, -um (?) īnferior, īnferius īnfimus, -a, -um lower īmus, -a, -um lowest, bottom ulterior, ulterius ultimus, -a, -um farther (distance) farthest proprior, proprius proximus, -a, -um nearer nearest, next (+ dative) prior, prius prīmus, -a, -um (ordinal) earlier first, foremost

Are the positive degrees really non-existent... ??? What adverbs or prepositions might be related to the lost positives?

6 The Three Degrees of Adjectives

Nōtā Bene: - (A) the partitive idea is built into the definition of the adjectives extrēmus (“end of”), summus (“top of”) and īnfimus/īmus (“bottom of”); i.e. these words do NOT use a partitive genitive - Examples: o ascendēmus ad summum montem = “Let’s climb to the top of the mountain” o relinque nostrum cibum in extrēmā mēnsā = “Leave our food on the end of the table” o illī pīrātae ūnam partem imī portūs delēvērunt = “Those pirates destroyed one part of the bottom of the harbor” - (B) the comparative of multus (the singular adjective) is a NOUN, plūs, plūris, n. + a partitive genitive; in the plural, the comparative is just another adjective - Examples: o edō plūs cibī hōdiē = “I am eating more food today o labōrā, Mārce, operis plūre = “Work with more effort, Marcus” o egō plūrēs cibōs quam tū (edis) cōtīdiē = I eat more foods than you do on a daily basis” o saepe unō diē Mārcus plūra opera quam ego aliquot (indecl.) septimanīs conficiēbat = “Marcus often finished more works in one day than I (finished/did) in several weeks” - (C) Comparison of senex: o “Older and “Oldest” can be rendered by “greater in age” and “greatest in age”, using nātū, an ablative of respect o “older” is also just senior

7 The Three Degrees of Adjectives o senex, senis, m. also means “old man” BUT and “old woman” is NOT a senex but an anus, anūs, f.