1. Comparing Adjectives

2. 3 Degrees of Adjectives! Positive: long, high, strong Comparative: longer, higher, stronger Superlative: longest, highest, strongest

3. How to make comparatives Add –ior for M/F, add –ius for N longior, longius: longer altior, altius: higher fortior, fortius: stronger

4. How to make superlatives Add –issimus Longissimus: longest Altissimus: highest Fortissimus: strongest

5. 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

6. 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)

7. Declining Adjectives See page 95 of your handout for how adjectives decline. Comparative adjectives –ior and –ius decline like 3 rd declension nouns. Superlative adjectives –issimus, -issima, -issimum decline like 1 st and 2 nd declension nouns.

8. Using Comparatives in Latin The man is stronger than the boy. Vir est fortior quam puer. Comparative + quam…the 2 nd noun being compared is in the same case as the 1 st noun. Vir est fortior puero. Comparative + ablative… no “quam” is used, just put the 2 nd noun in the ablative case. This is called the “ablative of comparison.”

9. Irregular Adjectives English has irregular adjectives: Good, better, best NOT good, gooder, goodest Latin has irregular adjectives, too!

10. Irregular Adjectives bonus, -a, -um melior, melius optimus, -a, -um English derivatives: – ameliorate – optimist good better best

11. Irregular Adjectives malus, -a, -um peior, peius pessimus, -a, -um English derivatives: – pejorative – pessimist bad worse worst

12. Irregular Adjectives magnus, -a, -um maior, maius maximus, -a, -um Engish derivatives: – major – maximum big, great bigger, greater biggest, greatest

13. Irregular Adjectives parvus, -a, -um minor, minus minimus, -a, -um English derivatives: – minor – minimum small smaller smallest

14. Irregular Adjectives multus, -a, -um plus (nom.), pluris (gen.) + genitive noun plurimus much, many more most, very many

15. 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”)