Regular and Irregular Forms LFA 61 and 64 2012-2013 Comparing Adjectives Regular and Irregular Forms LFA 61 and 64 2012-2013

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 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. 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, -um altior, 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

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