Comparing Adjectives

Regular and Irregular FormsLFA 61 and 64

Dec. 9-15, 2014

3 Degrees of Adjectives!

• Positive: long, high, strong• Comparative: longer, higher, stronger• Superlative: longest, highest, strongest

How to make comparatives

• Add –ior for M/F, add –ius for N

• longior, longius: longer• altior, altius: higher• fortior, fortius: stronger

How to make superlatives

• Add –issimus

• Longissimus: longest• Altissimus: highest• Fortissimus: strongest

There are always…exceptions

• Adjectives that end in –er form their superlatives by adding –RIMUS instead of –issimus

• celer, celeris, celere CELERRIMUS• acer, acris, acre ACERRIMUS

One more exception!

• The adjectives similis, dissimilis, facilis, difficilis, gracilis, and humilis add –LIMUS instead of –issimus for the superlative

• similis, simile: SIMILLIMUS (most similar)

Using Comparatives in Latin#1

• The man is stronger than the boy.• Vir est fortior quam puer.• Comparative + quam…the 2nd noun being

compared is in the same case as the 1st noun.

Using Comparatives in Latin#2

• Vir est fortior puero.• Comparative + ablative… no “quam” is used,

just put the 2nd noun in the ablative case. This is called the “ablative of comparison.”

Declining Adjectives

• See page 423 of your book for how adjectives decline.

• Comparative adjectives –ior and –ius decline like 3rd declension nouns (see next slide)

• Superlative adjectives –issimus, -issima, -issimum decline like 1st and 2nd declension nouns.

altus, -a, -umaltior, altius

altissimus, -a, -um

• M/F (sg.) N (pl.)• altior altius• altioris altioris• altiori altiori• altiorem altius• altiore altiore

• M/F (pl.) N (pl.)• altiores altiora• altiorum altiorum• altioribus altioribus• altiores altiora• altioribus altioribus

Comparing Adjectives Practice(turn in to box)

• Write the positive, comparative, and superlative forms (Latin and English) for the following adjectives:

• gratus• nobilis• clarus• levis• longus

Irregular Adjectives

• English has irregular adjectives: • Good, better, best• NOT good, gooder, goodest• Latin has irregular adjectives, too!• THESE ARE YOUR VOCABULARY WORDS FOR

THIS SECTION: BE SURE TO COPY AND STUDY THEM!

Irregular Adjectives

• bonus, -a, -um

• melior, melius

• optimus, -a, -um

• English derivatives:– ameliorate– optimist

• good

• better

• best

Irregular Adjectives

• malus, -a, -um

• peior, peius

• pessimus, -a, -um

• English derivatives:– pejorative– pessimist

• bad

• worse

• worst

Irregular Adjectives

• magnus, -a, -um

• maior, maius

• maximus, -a, -um

• Engish derivatives:– major– maximum

• big, great

• bigger, greater

• biggest, greatest

Irregular Adjectives

• parvus, -a, -um

• minor, minus

• minimus, -a, -um

• English derivatives:– minor– minimum

• small

• smaller

• smallest

Irregular Adjectives

• multus, -a, -um

• plus (nom.), pluris (gen.) + genitive noun

• plurimus

• much, many

• more

• most, very many

How “Plus” Works

• Plus is a neuter noun. It takes a genitive.

• More food = plus cibi (lit., “more of food”)

• More money = plus pecuniae (lit., “more of money”)

Additional Vocab:

• extremus, -a, -um: farthest, last, end of• inferior, inferius: lower• proximus, -a, -um: nearest, next (w./dative)• summus, -a, -um: highest, top of• ulterior, ulterius: farther• ultimus, -a, -um: farthest