Comparison of Adjectives
Simple, simpler, simplest or
complex, more complex, most
complex?
Terminology
• There are three degrees of adjectives in
Latin and in English:
• Positive
• Comparative
• Superlative
• Latin example: īrātus, īrātior, īrātissimus
• English example: angry, angrier, angriest
The Positive Degree
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The positive degree refers to a basic
quality of a person or thing and uses
regular adjective forms.
English examples: bright, expensive
Latin examples: īrātus, brevis
The positive degree of a Latin adjective
uses either first and second declension
endings or third declension endings.
It is the form introduced in vocabulary.
The Comparative Degree
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The comparative degree compares the
quality of one person or thing with
another and uses “-er” or “more” or
“rather” with the meaning of the
adjective.
English examples: brighter, more
expensive
Latin examples: īrātior, brevior
Forming the Comparative
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To form the comparative degree of a
Latin adjective, first find the base of the
adjective (take “-a” off of the nominative
feminine singular).
Then add -ior (masc.+fem.) or -ius
(neuter) to form the nominative singular.
For other cases, use the –ior base plus
3rd declension noun endings.
Example: īrātior, īrātius; brevior, brevius
Full comparative chart
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
Masc./Fem.
īrātior
īrātiōris
īrātiōrī
īrātiōrem
īrātiōre
īrātiōrēs
īrātiōrum
īrātiōribus
īrātiōrēs
īrātiōribus
Neuter
īrātius
īrātiōris
īrātiōrī
īrātius
īrātiōre
īrātiōra
īrātiōrum
īrātiōribus
īrātiōra
īrātiōribus
The Superlative Degree
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The superlative degree stresses the
highest degree of a quality and uses “est” or “most” or “very” with the
meaning of the adjective.
English examples: brightest, most
expensive
Latin examples: īrātissimus, brevissimus
Forming the superlative
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To form the superlative degree of a Latin
adjective, take the adjective base and
add –issim- plus 2-1-2 adjective endings.
Example: īrātissimus, -a, -um
Even if an adjective is originally 3rd
declension (like brevis), it will take 2-1-2
endings in the superlative.
Exceptions with adjectives ending in –er
and –lis are discussed in a later slide.
Full superlative chart
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
Nom.
Gen.
Dat.
Acc.
Abl.
Masculine
īrātissimus
īrātissimī
īrātissimō
īrātissimum
īrātissimō
īrātissimī
īrātissimōrum
īrātissimīs
īrātissimōs
īrātissimīs
Feminine
īrātissima
īrātissimae
īrātissimae
īrātissimam
īrātissimā
īrātissimae
īrātissimārum
īrātissimīs
īrātissimās
īrātissimīs
Neuter
īrātissimum
īrātissimī
īrātissimō
īrātissimum
īrātissimō
īrātissima
īrātissimōrum
īrātissimīs
īrātissima
īrātissimīs
Mid-point practice
• Let’s form the comparative and superlative
of the following:
• longus
• longior/longius, longissimus, -a, -um
• ingēns, ingentis
• ingentior/ingentius, ingentissimus, -a, -um
• fēlīx, fēlīcis
• fēlīcior/fēlīcius, fēlīcissimus, -a, -um
Now for the exceptions
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Adjectives ending in –er:
If the adjective loses the –er in the fem.
nom. sing., it will lose the –er in the
comparative.
In the superlative, always add –rimus, a, -um instead of –issimus, -a, -um.
Example: pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum
pulchrior/pulchrius; pulcherrimus, -a, um
-Lis words
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With the following –lis words: facilis
(easy), difficilis (hard), similis (like),
dissimilis (different), gracilis (slender),
and humilis (humble),
add –limus, -a, -um instead of –issimus,
-a, -um in the superlative.
Examples: facillimus, -a, -um, but
fidēlissimus, -a, -um
Exceptions Practice
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Please give the comp. and superlative for:
celer, celeris, celere
celerior/celerius, celerrimus, -a, -um
facilis, -e
facilior/facilius, facillimus, -a, -um
ācer, ācris, ācre
ācrior/ācrius, ācerrimus, -a, -um
ūtilis, -e
ūtilior/ūtilius, ūtilissimus, -a, -um
Irregular adjectives
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Just as in English
(good, better, best),
some Latin
adjectives are
compared
irregularly.
Their comparative
and superlative
forms will need to
be memorized.
Pos.
Comp. Superl.
bonus
melior optimus
malus
peior
pessimus
magnus maior
maximus
parvus
minor
minimus
multus
plūs
plūrimus
In summary
• What are the five most important concepts
you need to know to be able to form and
translate the positive, comparative, and
superlative degrees?