Grammar notebook part three modifiers

Adjectives

Adjectives

• Definition: describes a noun or pronoun– What kind?– Which one?– How many?

• Agreement: must agree in gender, number, and case with the modified noun (word being described)– Puer territus cucurrit a cane magna.

Gender Rules

• 1st declension = mostly feminine• 2nd declension– “Us/er” nominative singular = masculine– “Um” nominative singular = neuter

• 3rd declension: usually what makes sense but not always– “tor” = masc– “trix” = feminine

• 4th declension – “us” nominative singular = masculine– “u” nominative singular = neuter

• 5th declension= mostly feminine

Substantives

• Sometimes the modified noun/pronoun is left out of the sentence. When there is no word which agrees in gender, number, and case with the adjective, you must supply in English the understood/implied noun based on the gender, number, and case.– Masc sing = man; masc pl. = men– Feminine sing= woman; feminine pl = women– Neuter sing = thing; neuter pl = things

• Bonus expectabat bona.• The good (man) was expecting good (things).

First and Second Declension Adjectives

• Nominative patterns: masculine, feminine, neuter– “us, a, um”– “er, a, um”

• Base = feminine nominative singular minus “a”– Bonus, bona, bonum = bon– Sacer, sacra, sacrum = sacr

Masculine

• Singular plural• Nom us/er i• Gen i orum• Dat o is• Acc um os• Abl o is• Voc e/i/er i

Feminine

• Singular plural• Nom a ae• Gen ae arum• Dat ae is• Acc am as• Abl a* is• Voc a ae

Neuter

• Singular plural• Nom um a• Gen i orum• Dat o is• Acc um a• Abl o is• Voc um a

Third Declension Adjectives

• Nominative patterns:– “er, is, e” = masc, fem, neut– “is, e” = masc and fem, neut– “?, is” = masc,fem, neut nom sing;

masc, fem, neut gen sing.• Base = remove “is”– Celer, celeris, celere = celer– Fortis, forte = fort– Audax, audacis = audac

Masculine and Feminine

• Singular plural• Nom ???? Es• Gen is ium• Dat i ibus• Acc em es• Abl i ibus• Voc repeat nom es

Neuter

• Singular plural• Nom ?????? ia• Gen is ium• Dat i ibus• Acc repeat nom. ia• Abl i ibus• Voc repeat nom. ia

Irregular Adjectives

• A small group of adjectives that show non-specific quantities are irregular in the genitive singular and dative singular. The plurals are normal

• Masculine feminine neuter• us/er a um• ius ius ius• i i i• um am um• o a o

Irregular Adjectives

• Listed below are the irregular adjectives:– Alius, alia, aliud other– Nullus, nulla, nullum none, not any– Ullus, ulla, ullum any, some– Solus, sola, solum alone, only– Totus, tota, totum total, whole, all– Unus, una, unum one, only– Alter, altera, alterum another– Uter, utra, utrum each

DEGREE

ADJECTIVES AND ADVERBS: positive, comparative, and superlative

DEGREE OF ADJECTIVES

• An adjective has three degrees.– Positive is the basic form without any changes for

emphasis. – Comparative is the next step to show more

emphasis. The word will become larger itself by adding ior.

– Superlative is the top step. The adjective becomes even longer by adding usually issim.

Degree of adjectives

Miles est altus. The soldier is tall.positive

Hic miles est altior. This soldier is taller.comparative.

Ille miles est altissimus. That soldier is the tallest.superlative

POSITIVE

• The positive form is the most basic. Remember it must always change, based on its declension, to agree with the modified noun in gender, number, and case.– Positive adjectives are either classified as• First and second declension • Third declension

– Any adjective can be adjusted to modify any noun.

COMPARATIVE

• The comparative form is the second degree.• Its can be translated by:– Adding er to the positive altior taller– Using the word more altior more tall– Adding the word rather altior rather tall– Adding too altior too tall

Forming Comparatives

• To make a comparative adjective– Begin with the base of the adjective• For first and second declensions, this will be the

feminine nominative singular minus a• For third declension, it will be the second form from

the vocabulary listing minus is.

– Add ior for masculine and feminine; add ius for neuter. This will make the two nominative singular forms.

DECLINING COMPARATIVES

• Once you have added ior, ius, the new comparative adjective becomes a third declension adjective regardless of how it started.– Altus alta altum positive 1st and 2nd

– Altior, altius comparative 3rd

Declining Comparatives

• To decline your new comparative, leave the ior on all forms except the neuter nominative singular and the neuter accusative singular for which you will use the ius form.

• The new ior is the new base. This is your sign that the adjective is comparative.

• Add third declension noun endings to make the comparative agree with its noun in gender, number, and case.

Comparative endings

• Masculine and feminine• Nom ior iores• Gen ioris iorum• Dat iori ioribus• Acc iorem iores• Abl iore ioribus

• Neuter

• Nom ius iora• Gen ioris iorum• Dat iori ioribus• Acc ius iora• Abl iore ioribus

Examples(Remember there are alternate translations)

• Servus altior vinum bibit. (masc. Nom. sing.)– The taller slave drank the wine..

• Amicus altioris servi quoque vinum bibit.(masc. Gen . Sing.)– The friend of the taller slave also drank wine.

• Amicus altiori servo cibum dedit.(masc dat sing)– The friend gave food to the taller slave.

examples

• Ancilla altiorem servum maluit. (masc. Acc. Sing.)– The slavegirl preferred the taller slave.

• Ancilla e popina cum altiore servo discessit.(masc. Abl. Sing.)– The slavegirl left the bar with the taller slave.

• (Why don’t the adjective and noun have the same endings if they agree?)

Superlatives

• The superlative is the highest degree. It will be a very long word.

• It can be translated by:– Adding est altissimus tallest– Adding very altissimus very tall– Adding most altissimus most tall

Use proper English when translating; goodest is not a word.

Forming Superlatives

• For most adjectives, form the superlative by adding issim plus first and second declension endings. All superlative adjectives are now first and second declension.– Altissimus,-a, -um tallest– Brevissimus,-a, -um shortest

Declension of superlatives Singular

• Mascfem neuter– issimus issima issimum nom sing– issimi issimae issimi gen sing– issimo issimae issimo dat sing– issimum issimam issimum acc sing– issimo issima* issimo abl sing

Declension of Superlatives Plural

• Masc fem neut– issimi issimae issima nom pl– issimorum issimarum issimorum gen. Pl– issimis issimis issimis dat pl– issimos issimas issima acc pl– issimis issimis issimis abl pl

Er Superlatives

• Some adjectives for which either the nominative singular or the base ends with er will not use the issim; instead you will add rim (effectively doubling the r which you should roll when you say it) plus first and second declension endings– Pulcherrimus, -a, -um most beautiful– Celerrimus, -a, -um fastest

Examples

• Olivia est pulcherrima puella.– Olivia is the most beautiful girl. Fem. Nom. Sing

• Pueri pulcherrimas puellas spectare amant.– The boys love to watch the most beautiful girls.

Fem .acc. Pl.

Double L superlatives

• A small group (six) of adjectives whose base ends in il will use limus (effectively doubling the l which you should trill) to form their superlatives. These adjectives are:– Facilis facillimus, -a, -um easiest– Difficilis difficillimus, -a, -um most difficult– Similis simillimus, -a, -um most similar– Dissimilis dissimillimus, -a,-um most different– Gracilis gracillimus, -a, -um most slender– Humilis humillimus, -a, -um most humble

The Irregulars

• Changing degree usually follows the patterns described, making the words progressively longer and more impressive as the degree increases. However, just like in English, many words have irregular degree. We don’t say bad, badder, baddest; instead we say bad, worse, worst. Good doesn’t become gooder, then goodest; instead we use good, better, best.

Irregulars

• Memorize the following irregulars:– Bonus melior, melius optimus– Malus peior, peius pessimus– Magnus maior, maius maximus– Parvus minor, minus minimus– Multus *plus/ plures, plura plurimus

• *neuter substantive

Special grammar structures with degree

• The superlative is frequently used with a partitive genitive or genitive of the whole.– Olivia est pulcherrima puella omnium.– Olivia is the most beautiful girl of all.

Using quam with comparatives

• When comparing two things with quam:– The two objects must be in the same case.– Quam means than– Flavia est pulchrior quam Cornelia.• Both are nominitive.• Quam links the two as than

Ablative of Comparison

• When using an ablative of comparison, the first item must be either nominative or accusative.

• The second item is ablative without a preposition.– Flavia est pulchrior Cornelia*.– Flavia is prettier than Cornelia.

Ablative of Degree of Difference

• Used to show how much of a comparison in reference to the comparative adjective. ( functions somewhat like an adverb)– Multo much– Paulo a little

• No preposition is used.– Nostri milites sunt multo fortiores illis militibus.– Our soldiers are much more brave than those soldiers.

ADVERBS

FRIENDLY, EASIER TO GET ALONG WITH, IMPOSSIBLE TO DECLINE

ADVERBS

• Adverbs modify verbs, ( adverb = to the verb), adjectives, and other adverbs. They limit these words.– When?– How?– To what extent?– He walks quickly. Ambulat celeriter.

Adverbs

• Adverbs agree automatically. They cannot be declined; just put them in the sentence where you need them. Many adverbs are independently made (not made from another word) such as mox, hodie, cras etc. Others are made from adjectives in their positive form.

Degree of adverbs : Positive

• The positive adverb is made one of two ways:– 1st and 2nd dec adjectives = remove a from

feminine nominative singular and add elatus lata, latum wide late widely

3rd dec usually add er, ter, or iterbrevis, breve short breviter shortly

Degree of adverbs: Comparative

• The second degree or comparative is formed by using the neuter comparative adjective (ius). Just check to be certain it is not modifying a neuter noun. Translate with more.– Pugnavit gravius. He fought more seriously.

• Adverb in comparative degree

– Hoc est gravius bellum. This is a more serious war.• Adjective modifying the neuter noun bellum

Superlative adverbs

• Change the “us” to an “e” on the superlative adjectives– Latissimus = latissime– Widest = most widely

• When used with “quam”, translate “as ______ as possible”– Quam latissime as quickly as possible