Latin Grammar Comparison of Adjectives Comparison of Adjectives

Comparison of Adjectives In 1. 2. 3. English, adjectives have three degrees: Positive degree—old

Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Degrees Latin, 1. 2. 3. too, has these degrees longus

Comparative Degree longus, -a, -um = long To make its comparative, put –ior on

Comparative Degree The form in –ior is actually masculine and feminine. The neuter ends

Declining Third Declension Adjectives. You may remember that most third-declension adjectives are i-stems and

Declining Comparative Adjectives Comparatives are third-declension, but they aren’t i-stems, so they use consonant

Superlatives To make a superlative, add –issimus to the adjective stem. Examples: longus ➔

Superlatives All adjectives whose first form ends in –er, oddly, add –rimus. Examples: pulcher

Superlatives All a few adjectives that end in –ilis, like facilis and similis make

Good News Superlatives are easy to decline. They all decline just like multus, -a,

Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives Just as English has good, better, best and bad, worse,

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Latin Grammar Comparison of Adjectives

Comparison of Adjectives In 1. 2. 3. English, adjectives have three degrees: Positive degree—old Comparative degree—older Superlative degree—oldest Compare: new, newer, newest ugly, uglier, ugliest good, better best beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful

Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Degrees Latin, 1. 2. 3. too, has these degrees longus longior longissimus Compare: altus, altior, altissimus stultus, stultior, stultissimus bonus, melior, optimus

Comparative Degree longus, -a, -um = long To make its comparative, put –ior on its stem: longior Other examples: stultus ➔ stultior facilis ➔ facilior

Comparative Degree The form in –ior is actually masculine and feminine. The neuter ends in –ius. So the full name of the comparative form is longior, longius (or longior, -ius) Compare: stultior, stultius (stultior, -ius) facilior, facilius (facilior, -ius)

Declining Third Declension Adjectives. You may remember that most third-declension adjectives are i-stems and have i-stem endings. singular plural omnis omne omnēs omnia omnem omne omnīs omnia omnis omnium omnī omnī omnibus omnibus

Declining Comparative Adjectives Comparatives are third-declension, but they aren’t i-stems, so they use consonant stem endings. singular plural longior longius longiōrēs longiōra longiōrem longiōre longiōrēs longiōra longiōris longiōrum longiōrī longiōribus longiōre longiōribus

Superlatives To make a superlative, add –issimus to the adjective stem. Examples: longus ➔ longissimus stultus ➔ stultissimus audāx ➔ audācissimus

Superlatives All adjectives whose first form ends in –er, oddly, add –rimus. Examples: pulcher ➔ pulcherrimus miser ➔ miserrimus celer ➔ celerrimus

Superlatives All a few adjectives that end in –ilis, like facilis and similis make their superlatives like so: Examples: facilis ➔ facillimus similis ➔ simillimus

Good News Superlatives are easy to decline. They all decline just like multus, -a, -um singular plural longissimus longissima longissimum longissimī longissimae longissima longissimum longissimam longissimum longissimōs longissimās longissima longissimī longissimae longissimī longissimōrum longissimārum longissimō longissimae longissimō longissimīs longissimō longissimā longissimō longissimīs

Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives Just as English has good, better, best and bad, worse, worst, Latin has some irregular adjectives. bonus, melior, optimus malus, peior, pessimus multus, plūrimus magnus, maior, maximus

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