ì
Comparison of Adjectives


Comparison of adjectives in English



Degrees of comparison in LATIN
ì1) Positive – longus, a, um/ brevis, e
1)
ì2) Comparative – longior, ius/ brevior, ius
ì
ì3) Superlative – longissimus, a, um/                     brevissimus, a, um

Types of comparison in LATIN
ì1) Regular: latus, a, um – latior, ius – latissimus, a, um
ì2) Irregular: magnus, a, um – major, majus – maximus, a, um
ì3) Incomplete: (supra) - superior, ius – supremus, a, um

Regular comparison - COMPARATIVE
ìNominative of comparatives is formed by adding to the base of the positive the suffix -ior for
masculine and feminine
ì -ius for the neuter
-
Positive
Base
Comparative
M+F
Comparative
N
Longus, a, um
Long-
Long-ior
Long-ius
Simplex, cis
Simplic-
Simplic-ior
Simplic-ius
Brevis, e
Brev-
Brev-ior
Brev-ius
•Comparatives are declined like Nouns of III. Declension (DOLOR+CORPUS)
•! Genitive sg. of comparative always ends in -ioris
-

Comparativ – how to decline
singular
plural
nom.
brevior
brevius
breviores
breviora
gen.
brevioris
breviorum
ak.
breviorem
brevius
breviores
breviora
abl.
breviore
brevioribus
Comparatives are declined like nouns of III. declension - DOLOR (M., F.) and CORPUS (N.). Genitive
has for all 3 genders ending – IORIS.
simplex, simplicis -> simplicior (m., f.), simplicius (n.) -> g. sg.: simplicioris (m., f., n.)
latus, a, um -> latior (m., f.), latius (n.) -> g. sg.: latioris

Regular comparison - SUPERLATIVE
ì
ìMajority of superlatives are formed by adding to the base of the positive the suffix –issimus, a,
um| 6 adjectives add suffix –limus, a, um. Adjectives ending in –er form the superlative by adding
suffix –rimus, a, um to the masculine nominative singular of the positive.
ì
POSITIVE
BASE
SUPERLATIVE
Longus, a, um
Long-
long-issimus, a, um
Simplex, cis
Simplic-
Simplic-issimus, a, um
Brevis, is
Brev-
Brev-issimus, a, um
facilis,
difficilis,
similis,
dissimilis,
gracilis,
humilis
facil-
difficil-
simil-
dissimil-
gracil-
humil-
Facil-limus, a, um
Difficil-limus, a, um
Simil-limus, a, um
Dissimil-limus, a, um
Gracil-limus, a, um
Humil-limus, a, um

Irregular comparison
 Positive
Comparative
Superlative
magnus,  a, um
large
major, majus
larger
maximus, a, um
the largest
parvus, a, um
small
minor, minus
smaller
minimus, a, um
the smallest
2 adjectives are irregular in comparison

Incomplete comparison
Preposition
Positive
Comparative
Superlative
ante
-
anterior, ius
-
post
-
posterior, ius
postremus, a, um
supra
-
superior, ius
supremus, a, um
infra
-
inferior, ius
infimus , a, um
intra
internus, a, um
interior, ius
intimus , a, um
extra
externus, a, um
exterior, ius
extremus, a, um
The following adjectives are partially irregular and some are defective
In the positive and comparative degrees: