ii. Ordinary formation of Comparative and Superlative.

These derivative adjectives are formed from the positive as follows. (For a more accurate mode of statement see §§ 755, 917.)

I.

The comparative is formed by adding for (for the nom. sing. masc. and fem.) to the last consonant of the stem; i.e. by changing the inflexion 1 or is of the genitive into for.

2. The superlative is formed by adding issimus to the last consonant of the stem; i.e. by changing the inflexion i or is of the genitive into issimus. Thus,

Some adjectives form their superlative by doubling the last consonant of the stem and adding Imus. These are

(a) Adjectives with stems ending in ĕro or ĕri, the e being omitted or retained, as in the positive, § 347.

pulcher, comp. pulchr-ior, superl. pulcher-rimus.

So niger, piger, rüber, tæter, vǎfer: acer, celeber, sălüber.

asper,

aspĕrior,

asperrimus.

So cěler, dexter (also rarely superl. dextimus), liber, miser, pauper, těner, über.

větus

prospěrus

Also

no comp.

věterrimus

prosperrimus

(sinistimus only in
augurial language)
deterrimus

no superl.

mātūrus has mātur-rimus, as well as the more common form maturissimus.

(sincērus, austērus, procērus, sevērus have superl. in issimus.)

(b) The following adjectives whose last stem consonant is 1; făcilis, easy; similis, like; difficilis, difficult; dissimilis, unlike; gråcilis, thin, slender; humilis, low; as, facil-is, făcil-limus. (Imbecillis has imbecillissimus.)

The vowel preceding mus in superlatives was in the older language (including Cicero) u not 1; thus, durissimus, faciilumus, pulcherrimus. So almost always in præ-Augustan inscriptions.

iii. Irregular or defective adjectives (besides those named in 2. a).

I.

The following are either deficient in the positive degree or form their comparative and superlative irregularly or from a different

2. The following have superlative, but not comparative: bellus, cæsius, falsus, inclùtus, invictus, invītus, novus, săcer, våfer.

3. The following have comparative, but not superlative:

Verbals in -ilis: except amabilissimus (Cic., Sen.), hăbilissimus (Cels.), mirabilissimus (Čol.), mōbilissimus (Cic., Tác.), stăbilissimus (Cato), fertilissimus (Cæs., Liv., Plin. H. N.), utilissimus,

nobilissimus.

ălăcer, agrestis, arcānus, āter (Plaut.), diuturnus, exīlis, jējūnus, jūvěnis, longinquus, obliqvus, opīmus, proclivis, proximus (of kinship, in Sen., Ulp. &c.), prōnus, sătur, segnis, senex, sērus, silvestris (Plin.), supīnus, surdus, taciturnus, tempestivus, vicīnus.

iv. Adjectives used only in the positive:

Many adjectives, which express an absolute state or quality, e. g. material (e.g. aureus), time (e.g. nocturnus), relationship (e.g. paternus), which does not readily admit the idea of a higher or lower degree, have no comparative or superlative. In some others they are wanting without any such apparent reason.

If a comparison is required in such adjectives the defect is supplied by adding măgis and maxime. Thus, magis mirus, more wonderful, maxime mirus, most wonderful.

Adjectives used only in the positive are chiefly of the following

classes:

I. Derivatives ending in -icus, -īnus, -īvus, -ōrus, -tĭmus, -ŭlus, -ālis or -āris, -īlis, and (from substantives) in -ātus and -ītus, as civicus, natūrālis, &c., barbātus, crīnītus.

Exceptions: rusticior (Sen.); rusticius, as adv. (Hor.).

æqvalior (Liv., Quint.), inæqvalior (Plin. Ep.), inæqvalissimus (Suet.); capitalior (Cic.); frugalior, frugalissimus; hospitalissimus (Cic.); liberalior, liberalissimus; mortalior (Plin. H. N.); penetralior (Lucr.); regalior (Plaut.); vocalior (Sen., Quint.), vocalissimus (Plin. Ep.).

familiarior (Liv.), familiarissimus; popularior (Liv.); salutarior (Cic.).

civilior (Ov.); Juvenilior (Ov.); puerilior (Hor.).

2. Compounds; as inops, magnanimus, &c.

Except those named above from dico, facio, volo (§ iii. p. 434). amentior (Cass., Cic., Suet.), amentissimus (Cic.); dementior, dementissimus (Cic.); ingentior (Verg.).

concordior (Plaut.), concordissimus (Cic., Sen.); misericordior (Plaut., Cic.); vecordissimus (Or. pro Domo).

inertior, inertissimus (Cic.); sollertior (Cic., Ov.), sollertissimus (Cato, Sall.).

deformior (Cic., Mart., Plin.); insignior (Liv.); perennior (Hor.); immanior (Cic., Verg.), immanissimus (Cic., Plin. Ep.).

3. Adjectives ending in -as, preceded by a vowel.

(a) But u often is, or becomes, consonantal, and thus allows a comparative or superlative without difficulty; e.g. in -qvus and -gvis; e.g. antiqvior, antiqvissimus; pingvior, pingvissimus; tenvis, tenvior, tenvissimus.

ardvior, arduissimus (Cato); assidvior (Varr.), assiduissimus (Suet., and as adv. Cic.); exiguior (Col.), exiguissimus (Ov., Plin. Ep.); strenuior (Plaut., Lucil.), strenuissimus (Cato, Sall. &c.); vacuissimus (Ov.); perpetuior, perpetuissimus (Cato).

(b) industrior (Plaut.); piissimus (condemned by Cic. Phil. 13. 19, but used by Antony, Sen., Curt., Tac.); noxior (Sen.). On alsius see p. 240.

4. The following: albus, almus, cădūcus, calvus, cănus, căcăr, claudus, cōmis (comior once in Cic.), compos, curvus, dirus (dirior once in Cic.), fērus, gnārus, lăcer, luscus, mancus, mědiooris, měmor, immĕmor, mērus, mirus (mirior Fest., Varr.), mutilus, mūtus, gnāvus, něfastus, par, impar, dispar, rūdis, trux, văgus,

v. Many participles present and past have comparatives and superlatives.

Neue (II. 91) gives the following lists of participles, with the time of the first occurrence of one or other form (i.e. comparative or superlative).

1. Present Participle:

(a) In Cicero: amans, appetens, ardens, continens, egens, fervens, flagrans, florens, indulgens, negligens, patiens, temperans, tuens, valens.

(b) In Cæs. or Liv. (not in Cic.): obediens, patens.

(c) In imperial times: abstinens, audens, decens, instans, metuens, obseqvens, reverens.

2. Past Participle:

(a) In Cicero: abjectus, acceptus, accommodatus, accuratus, adstrictus, apertus, apparatus, attentus, aversus, celebratus, commendatus, commotus, concitatus, conditus, conîrmatus, conjunctus, contemptus, contractus, cultus, cumulatus, demissus, despectus, desperatus, despicatus, disjunctus, dissolutus, distortus, doctus, effusus, erectus, eruditus, exercitatus, exoptatus, expeditus, exploratus, expressus, exqvisitus, exspectatus, fractus, impeditus, incitatus, inqvinatus, instructus, intentus, junctus, munitus, obstinatus, obtusus, occultus, optatus, ornatus, pacatus, paratus, perditus, perfectus, perversus, politus, pressus, probatus, productus, promptus, refertus, remissus, remotus, restrictus, sedatus, solutus, spectatus, suspectus.

(b) In Cæs. or Liv. (not in Cic.): auctus, citatus, confertus, conspectus, distinctus, diversus, excitatus, extentus, insignitus.

(c) In imperial times: coloratus, compressus, confusus, effectus, elatus, emendatus, fusus, ordinatus.

But the comparative or superlative of many other participles occurs occasionally.