Wheelock 26 Comparison of Adjectives and Ablative of Comparison One Page Outline

Wheelock 26 Comparision of Adjectives; Ablative of Comparison

One Page Outline

         POSITIVE DEGREE

·       Adjective forms learned thus far:

o    Basic characteristic, such as

·       Quality, or

·       Quantity

§  Plus

·       The modified noun

o   vir beatus, “a happy man.”

·       This form of adjective is known as an adjective of the positive degree

COMPARATIVE DEGREE

·       In Latin, as in Engish, an adjective may be “compared”

o   To indicate whether a person or thing being described has

§   a greater degree of a particular characteristic than some other person or thing, or

§  more than is usual or customary.

o   When comparing a person/thing with just one other, the comparative degree is used

§  vir beatior, “the happier man”

SUPERLATIVE DEGREE

o   WHEN comparing with 2 or more others, the superlative degree is employed

§  vir beatissimus, “the happiest man”

FORMATION OF COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

·       The form of the positive degree is learned from the vocabulary

·       The comparative and superlative forms add suffixes to the base of the positive

·       Comparative

o   Base + -ior (m&f) –ius (n); -ioris (gen)

·       Superlative

o   Base + -issimus, -issima, -issimum

POSITIVE	COMPARATIVE	SUPERLATIVE
carus, -a, -um	carior, -ius	carissimus, -a, -um
longus, -a, -um	longior, -ius	longissimus, -a, -um
fortis, -e	fortior, ius	fortissimus, -a, -um

·       Some adjectives are compared by adding magis and maxime to the positive

o   idoneus –a –um

§  magis idoneus

§  maxime idoneus

DECLENSION OF COMPARATIVES

·       Declension of superlatives follows pattern of magnus, -a, -um

·       Declension of comparatives

o   2-ending adjectives of 3^rd declension

§  not i-stems

·       i.e., they do not have

o   –i ablative singular

o   –ium genitive plural

o   –ia neuter nominative and accusative plural

	Singular M&F	Singular N	Plural M&F	Plural N
N	fortior	fortius	fortiores	fortiora
G	fortioris	fortioris	fortiorum	fortiorum
D	Fortiori	Fortiori	fortioribus	fortioribus
Ac	Fortiorem	Fortius	fortiores	fortiora
Ab	Fortiore	Fortiore	fortioribus	fortioribus

QUAM WITH COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES

·       When quam follows a comparative degree adjectives = “than”:  Hi libri sunt clariores quam illi; Dicit hos libros esse clariores  quam illos

·       When quam precedes a superlative, it functions adverbially and =greatest possibe degree of a particular quality:  Amicus meus erat vir quam iucundissimus

ABLATIVE OF COMPARISON

·       When first element compared nominative or accusative omit quam and second element in ablative:  Consilia tua sunt clariora luce; quis in Italia erat clarior Cicerone; Paucos feliciores patre tuo vidi.