Experience III, Lesson 4: Adjectives and Comparison
Learning the comparative and superlative adjective
- In English adjectives are divided into three degrees: positive, comparative, superlative.
- Normally we translate the comparative and superlative as relative, i.e. in relation to something else.
- E.g. long, longer, longest; beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful
- N.B. however there is also an absolute translation that is also possible, when it is not in comparison to something else.
- Comparative: rather long, somewhat long, too long, quite long
- Superlative: very beautiful
Forms of Comparative Adjectives
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative
|
| M.,F.,N. | Masc.-Fem. | Neuter | M.,F.,N.
|
| -us or -is | -ior | -ius | -issimus
|
honestus, -a, -um
rapidus, a, um | honestior
rapidior | honestius
rapidius | honestissimus, -a, -um
rapidissimus, a, um
|
| piger, -gra, -grum | pigrior | pigrius | *pigerrimus*
|
| nobilis, nobile | nobilior | nobilius | nobilissimus, -a, -um
|
prudens, prudentis
celer, celeris | prudentior
celerior | prudentius
celerius | prudentissimus, -a, -um
*celerrimus*
|
Note: whether Block I (honestus, piger) or Block II (nobilis, prudens), the Comparative and Superlative all form the same. (Except the exceptions below.)
Using the Adjectives
Positive Adjectives
The positive adjectives we already learned to form in Block I Nouns and Adjectives. The superlative adjectives will form in the exact same way.
In a quick table - Positive Adjectives
| Singular | Plural
|
| Masc. | Fem. | Neut. | Masc. | Fem. | Neuter
|
| Nom. = Subj. | honestus | honesta | honestum | honesti | honestae | honesta
|
| Gen. = Poss. | honesti | honestae | honesti | honestorum | honestarum | honestorum
|
| Acc. = Obj. | honestum | honestam | honestum | honestos | honestas | honesta
|
| Abl. | honesto | honestà | honesto | honestis | honestis | honestis
|
| Dat. = I.Obj. | honesto | honestae | honesto | honestis | honestis | honestis
|
Comparative Adjectives
The comparative adjectives will form the same as the Block II Nouns. Masculine and Feminine follow the nouns like gubernator, gubernatoris; doctor, doctoris. Neuter follows the nouns like corpus, corporis; tempus, temporis.
In a quick table - Comparative Adjective
| Masc.-Fem. | Neuter
|
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural
|
| Nom. = Subj. | honestior | honestiores | honestius | honestiora (-ia)
|
| Gen. = Poss. | honestioris | honestiorum (-ium) | honestioris | honestiorum (-ium)
|
| Acc. = Obj. | honestiorem | honestiores [-is] | honestius | honestiora (-ia)
|
| Abl. | honestiore (-i) | honestioribus | honestiore (-i) | honestioribus
|
| Dat. = I.Obj. | honestiori | honestioribus | honestiori | honestioribus
|
N.B.
- Adjectives always match the number, case and gender of the noun they modify
- pigra et honestior mulier = the lazy but more honest woman
- Note the difference in the tables above:
honestorum = positive adjective: of honest men/things
honestiorum = comparative adjective: of the more honest men/things
Superlative Adjective
- Superlatives are formed for all adjectives by adding the -issimus, -issima, -issimum ending.
However there are two exceptions:
- 1. There are 6 adjectives ending in -lis which form the superlative by adding -illimus.
- difficilis, dissimilis, facilis, gracilis, humilis, similis
- 2. There are about 20 adjectives, most ending in -er, which form the superlative by adding -errimus.
- acer, aeger, alacer, asper, ater, auster, celeber, celer, creber, integer, macer, miser, piger, pulcer, pulcher, scaber, uber [prosperus -> PROSPERRIMUS, vetus -> VETERRIMUS]
- facilis -> facillimus = easiest
- *piger -> pigerrimus = laziest
- *celer -> celerrimus = fastest
Now go on to Homework 4
"You have to be thinking, or you will get all confused." - Fr. Foster
Third Experience Latin - Fr. Reginald Foster
Answers to Third ExperienceReturn to Index