PART FIRSTWORDS AND FORMS

COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

In Latin, as in English, there are three degrees of comparison: the Positive, the Comparative, and the Superlative.

The Comparative is regularly formed by adding -ior (neuter -ius), ⁶⁵ the Superlative by adding -issimus (-a, -um), to the stem of the Positive, which loses its final vowel:

crus, dear (stem cro-);	crior, dearer;	crissimus, dearest.
levis, light (stem levi-);	levior, lighter;	levissimus, lightest.
flx, happy (stem flc-);	flcior, happier;	flcissimus, happiest.
hebes, dull (stem hebet-);	hebetior, duller;	hebetissimus, dullest.

NOTE.A form of diminutive is made upon the stem of some comparatives: as, grandius-culus, a little larger (see 243).

Participles when used as adjectives are regularly compared:
patins, patient; patientior, patientissimus.
apertus, open; apertior, apertissimus.

Adjectives in -er form the Superlative by adding -rimus to the nominative. The comparative is regular:
cer, keen; crior, cerrimus.
miser, wretched; miserior, miserrimus.

So vetus (gen. veteris) has superlative veterrimus, from the old form veter; and mtrus, besides its regular superlative (mtrissimus), has a rare form mtrrimus.

For the comparative of vetus, vetustior (from vetustus) is used.

Six adjectives in -lis form the Superlative by adding -limus to the stem clipped of its final i-. These are facilis, difficilis, similis, dissimilis, gracilis, humilis.
facilis (stem facili-), easy; facilior, facillimus.

Compounds in -dicus (saying) and -volus (willing) take in their comparison the forms of the corresponding participles dcns and volns, which were anciently used as adjectives:
maledicus, slanderous; maledcentior, maledcentissimus.
malevolus, spiteful; malevolentior, malevolentissimus. [p. 56]

So, by analogy, compounds in -ficus:
mgnificus, grand; mgnificentior, mgnificentissimus.

Some adjectives are compared by means of the adverbs magis, more, and maxim, most.

So especially adjectives in -us preceded by e or i:
idneus, fit; magis idneus, maxim idneus.

NOTE.But pius has piissimus in the superlative,a form condemned by Cicero, but common in inscriptions; equally common, however, is the irregular pientissimus.

Irregular Comparison

Several adjectives have in their comparison irregular forms:

bonus, good;	melior, better;	optimus, best.
malus, bad;	pior, worse;	pessimus, worst.
mgnus, great;	mior, greater;	maximus, greatest.
parvus, small;	minor, less;	minimus, least.
multus, much;	pls (N.) ( 120), more;	plrimus, most.
mult, many;	plrs, more;	plrim, most.
nquam (indecl., 122. b), worthless;	nquior;	nquissimus.
frg (indecl., 122. b), useful, worthy;	frglior;	frglissimus.
dexter, on the right, handy;	dexterior;	dextimus.

NOTE.These irregularities arise from the use of different stems (cf. 127). Thus frglior and frglissimus are formed from the stem frgli-, but are used as the comparative and superlative of the indeclinable frg.

Defective Comparison

Some Comparatives and Superlatives appear without a Positive:

cior, swifter;	cissimus, swiftest.
potior, preferable; 66	potissimus, most important.

The following are formed from stems not used as adjectives: ⁶⁷ [p. 57]

cis, citr (adv., on this side):	citerior, hither;	citimus, hithermost.
d (prep., down):	dterior, worse;	dterrimus, worst.
in, intr (prep., in, within):	interior, inner;	intimus, inmost.
prae, pr (prep., before):	prior, former;	prmus, first.
prope (adv., near):	propior, nearer;	proximus, next.
<*>ltr (adv., beyond):	ulterior, farther;	ultimus, farthest.

Of the following the positive forms are rare, except when used as nouns (generally in the plural):

exterus, outward;	exterior, outer;	extrmus (extimus), outmost
nforus, below (see 111. b);	nferior, lower;	nfimus (mus), lowest.
posterus, following;	posterior, latter;	postrmus (postumus), last.
superus, above;	superior, higher;	suprmus or summus, highest

But the plurals, exter, foreigners; nfer, the gods below; poster, posterity, super, the heavenly gods, are common.

NOTE.The superlative postumus has the special sense of last-born, and was a well known surname.

Several adjectives lack the Comparative or the Superlative:

The Comparative is rare or wanting in the following:

bellus,	inclutus (or inclitus),	novus,
caesius,	invictus,	pius,
falsus,	invtus,	sacer,
fdus (with its compounds),	meritus,	vafer.

The Superlative is wanting in many adjectives in -ilis or -bilis (as, agilis, probbilis), and in the following:

ctusus	exlis	prclvis	surdus
agrestis	ingns	propinquus	taciturnus
alacer	iinus	satur	tempestvus
arcnus	longinquus	sgnis	teres
caecus	oblquus	srus	vcnus
diturnus	opmus	supnus

From iuvenis, youth, senex, old man (cf. 122. d), are formed the comparatives inior, younger, senior, older. For these, however, minor nt and mior nt are sometimes used (nt being often omitted).

The superlative is regularly expressed by minimus and maximus, with or without nt.

NOTE.In these phrases nt is ablative of specification (see 418).

Many adjectives (as aureus, golden) are from their meaning incapable of comparison.

NOTE.But each language has its own usage in this respect. Thus, niger, glossy black. and candidus, shining white, are compared; but not ter or albus, meaning absolute dead black or white (except that Plautus once has trior). [p. 58]