Chapter 35
Comparisons of Adjectives
Latin sentences in which a direct comparison is
made may take one of two patterns:
Sextus est molestior quam Marcus.
Sextus est molestior Marco.
Sextus is more annoying than Marcus.
In the first example, quam (than) is used with
the same case on eitherside of it (i.e. molestior
and Marcus are both nominative).
In the second example, no word for "than" is
used, and Marco is ablative.
Activity 1 - Translate the following sentences.
1.
Hic servus est ignavissimus omnium. Nullum
servum ignaviorem habet Cornelius.
2.
Martialis Eucleide est multo prudentior.
3.
Ego semper habeo multo minus pecuniae quam tu.
4.
Marcus est maximus liberorum, Sextus est
minimus.
5.
Ad amicum epistulam longissimam mittam, ad
fratrem breviorem.
Adverbs
A.
Adverbs may be formed from adjectives of the
1st-2nd declension by adding -e to the base of
the adjective:
Adjective
strenuus, -a,-um
Adverb
strenue, strenuously,
hard
B.
Adverbs may be formed from adjectives of the
3rd declension by adding -iter to the base of an
adjective or -er to bases ending in nt:
Adjective
Adverb
brevis, -is, -e
breviter, briefly
prudens, prudentis
prudenter, wisely
N.B.
facilis, -is, -e
facile, easily
Activity 2: Give the adverbs and their meanings that may be formed
from these adjectives
1.
ignavus, ignava, ignavum lazy
______________________
2.
fortis, fortis, forte brave
______________________
3.
____________________
lentus, lenta, lentum slow
______________________
4.
____________________
____________________
neglegens, neglegentis careless
______________________
____________________
5.
miser, misera, miserum unhappy
______________________
6.
ferox, ferociter fierce
______________________
7.
____________________
gravis, gravis, grave heavy, serious
______________________
8.
____________________
____________________
laetus, laeta, laetum happy
______________________
____________________
9.
vehemens, vehementis violent
______________________
10.
iratus, irata, iratum angry
______________________
11.
____________________
celer, celeris, celere swift
______________________
12.
____________________
____________________
pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum pretty
______________________
____________________
Comparative and Superlative
1.
The neuter singular comparative adjective ending -ius is
used as the comparative adverb.
a.
2.
lentius, more slowly, rather slowly or too slowly
The superlative adjective ends in -us, -a, -um; the
superlative adverb ends in -e.
a.
lentissime, most slowly or very slowly
positive
comparative
superlative
laete, happily
laetius
laetissime
feliciter, luckily
felicius
felicissime
celeriter, quickly
celerius
celerrime
prudenter, wisely
prudentius
prudentissime
diu, for a long time
diutius
diutissime
saepe, often
saepius
saepissime
N.B.
Irregular Adverbs
positive
comparative
superlative
bene, well
melius, better
optime, best
male, badly
peius, worse
pessime, worst
facile, easily
facilius, more easily
facillime, most easily
magnopere, greatly
magis, more
maxime, most
paulum, little
minus, less
minime, least
multum, much
plus, more
plurimum, most
Activity 3: Translate
1.
Diutius manēre mihi non licet. Necesse est mihi
celerrime ad urbem redīre.
2.
Hic puer optime omnium scribit.
3.
Nemo celerius quam frater meus currere potest.
4.
De periculis viarum saepissime audivimus.
5.
Per vias urbis lente amublāre volo.
6.
Titus plurimum bibit.