Comparative and Superlative Adjectives

Degree: Positive, Comparative, and Superlative Adjectives like big, bigger, and biggest

differ in degree Big = positive degree Bigger = comparative degree Biggest = superlative degree As the following slides demonstrate, Latin

adjectives have degree too.

Aurelia vexata Aurelia vexatior Aurelia vexatissima

porcus pinguis porcus pinguior porcus pinguissimus

poculum elegans poculum elegantius poculum elegantissimum

candelabra infirma candelabra infirmiora candelabra infirmissima

Positive Comparative Superlative

Comparison of Adjectives

The form of the adjective we have seen so far is called the positive.

The comparative is translated more or –er; also too or rather.

The superlative is translated most, very, or –est.

All formation uses the base of the positive.

Comparison of Adjectives:

Comparative adds –ior, -ior, -ius and declines in the 3rd declension as a noun. Ancilla dominam vexatiorem habet.

vexatior, vexatior, vexatius Cornelius convivas elegantiores invitare voluit.

elegantior, elegantior, elegantius Clientes sub candelabro infirmiore sedebant.

Infirmior, infirmior, infirmius Titus in popinā viri obesioris vinum bibebat.

obesior, obesior, obesius

Comparison of Adjectives

Superlative adds –issimus, -a, -um and declines in the 1st and 2nd declension. Ancilla dominam vexatissimam habet.

vexatissimus, vexatissima, vexatissimum Cornelius convivas elegantissimos invitare voluit.

elegantissimus, elegantissima, elegantissimum Clientes sub candelabro infirmissimo sedebant.

infirmissimus, infirmissima, infirmissimum Titus in popinā viri obesissimi vinum bibebat.

obesissimus, obesissima, obesissimum

Some adjectives do it differently

Adjectives ending in –er use –rr in the superlative

miser, misera, miserum  miserior, miserius; miserrimus, a, um liber, libera, liberum liberior, liberius; liberrimus, a, um pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum          pulchrior, pulchrius; pulcherrimus, a, um

Some adjectives do it differently

Adjectives in –lis use –ll in the superlative

facilis, facile             facilior, facilius; facillimus, a, um difficilis, difficile           difficilior, difficilius; difficillimus, a, um

Not all comparisons are regular.

bona puella

malus puer

melior puella

peior puer

optima puella

pessimus puer

Not all comparisons are regular.

ferculum parvum

poculum magnum

ferculum minus

poculum maius

ferculum minimum

poculum maximum

multus sanguis plus sanguinis

plures gladiatores plurimi spectatores

Literally“more ofblood”

Adverbs can be compared too

In English, we have quickly, more quickly, most quickly slowly, more slowly, most slowly seriously, more seriously, most seriously

Cornelia celeriter domum currit.

Sextus celerrime omnium currit.

Marcus celerius quam Cornelia domum currit.

Cornelius a popina lente ambulat.

Sextus a popina lentius quam Cornelius ambulat.

Titus a popina lentissime ambulat.

Puer a praedone graviter vulneratus est.

Vir a praedone gravius vulneratus est.

Servus a praedone gravissime vulneratus est.

Can you predict the comparative

forms of the adverb?

It even works with irregular

comparisons!

Haec puella bene subridet. Illa puella melius subridet.

Cornelia optime subridet.

Adverbs formed from –us, -a, -um adjectives end in –e.

1. Pseudolus ad tabernam ____________ petivit.

ignavus, -a. –um

lentus, -a, -um

miser, misera, miserum

laetus, -a, -um

iratus, -a, -um

pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum

ignave

lente

misere

laete

irate

pulchre

ignavius

lentius

miserius

laetius

iratius

pulchrius

ignavissime

lentissime

miserrime

laetissime

iratissime

pulcherrime

Adverbs formed from 3rd declension adjectives end in –(i)ter.

1. Pseudolus ad tabernam ____________ petivit.

fortis, fortis, forte

procax, procacis

celer, celeris, celere

ferox, ferocis

gravis, gravis, grave

similis, similis, simile

fortiter

procaciter

celeriter

ferociter

graviter

similiter

fortius

procacius

celerius

ferocius

gravius

similius

fortissime

procacissime

celerrime

ferocissime

gravissime

simillime

Adverbs from Adjectives

Positive & superlative adverbs are formed from the base of the adjective: -us, -a, -um adjectives: add –e to the base: lente,

pulchre, optime, pulcherrime, lentissime 3rd declension: -(i)ter to the base: celeriter, prudenter,

fortiter Comparative: use the neuter form of the

comparative adjective: lentius, celerius, melius, plus

Numquam mulierem pulchriorem vidi quam Aureliam.

Magister numquam puerum vidit peiorem quam Decimum.

How do you compare one noun to another?

quam Aureliam quam Decimum.

Ego sum bona puella. Haec puella est melior quam ego.

Illa puella est optima omnium.

Foolproof: Use quam with both nouns in the same case.

Bonam puellam vidi. Puellam meliorem quam me vidi.

Puellam optimam omnium vidi.

Haec puella est melior quam Flavia.

Foolproof: Use quam with both nouns in the same case.

Puellam meliorem quam Flaviam vidi.

Alternative: when the first noun is nominative or accusative, use an

Ablative of Comparison without a Latin preposition for the second noun.

Haec puella est melior Flaviā.

Puellam meliorem Flaviā vidi.

Flavia est melior

quam Cornelia.

paulo Nunc vir graviusmulto

vulneratus est.

Using paulo (by a little) and multo (by much)

This use of paulo and multo is called

Ablative of Degree of Difference

Comparisons

There are two ways to form a comparison between two nouns: Use quam with both nouns in the same case.

Porcula est brevior quam Magistra. The second noun can go in the ablative (ablative of

comparison) if the first noun is nominative or accusativePorcula est brevior Magistrā.

Use multo (by much) or paulo (by a little) to refine the comparison (ablative of degree of difference). Magistra multo celerius quam Porcula currere potest.

Comparisons can use adjectives or adverbs.