In the Classical Liberal Arts Academy’s Latin Grammar course, we are happy to provide students the opportunity to study the famous Latin Grammar of the Jesuit schoolmaster Emmanuel Alvarez. The translation of this text is available only in the Classical Liberal Arts Academy, by headmaster William C. Michael.
In the last two lessons, we learned about the comparison of adjectives and how they are formed. In this lesson, we learn about adjectives that form comparative and superlative forms in irregular ways. To complete the objectives of this lesson, complete the following tasks:
- Study the lesson for mastery.
- Memorize the rules in the lesson.
- Complete the lesson assessment.
Lesson
The text of this lesson is provided below, with notes following. If you have any questions on this lesson, please post them on the course support forum in the Study Center.
Rule
I. Anomala sunt: bonus melior optimus; malus pejor pessimus; magnus major maximus; parvus, minor, minimus; parum, minus, minimum; magis, maxime; minus, minime; multum, plus, plurimum. Quanquam plus positivum putat Asinius apud Gellium.
Translation: (The) irregulars are: bonus (good), melior (better), optimus (best); malus (bad), pejor (worse), pessimus (worst); magnus (great), major (greater), maximus (greatest); parvus (little), minor (less), minimus (least); parum (small), minus (smaller), minimum (smallest); magis (more), maxime (most); minus (less), minime (least); multum (many), plus (more), plurimum (most). Although plus to be positive thinks Asinius with Gellius.
ll. ltem illa nequam, nequior, nequissimua; superus, superior, supremus; exterus, exterior, extremus, et Plinius extimus; inferus, inferior, infimus apud Cic.; citra, citerior, citimus; ultra, ulterior, ultimus; prior, primus; intus, interior, intimus; post, posterior, postremus; prope, propior, proximus; ante, anterior; diu, diutius, diutissime.
Translation: Likewise, these: nequam (wicked), nequior (more wicked), nequissimua (most wicked); superus (high), superior (higher), supremus (highest); exterus (external), exterior (more external), extremus (most external), and Plinius says extimus; inferus (below), inferior (further below), infimus (furthest below) with Cicero; citra (before), citerior (more before), citimus (most before); ultra (beyond), ulterior (further beyond), ultimus (furtherst beyond); prior (before), primus (first); intus (within), interior (further within), intimus (furthest within); post (after), posterior (next after), postremus (last); prope (near), propior (nearer), proximus (nearest); ante (before), anterior (earlier); diu (a long time), diutius (a longer time), diutissime (the longest time).
lll. Ocyor, ocyssimus; potior, potissimus; positivis carent, nisi sint ab okys Graeco et potis Latino. Novissimus et summus superlativum tantum habent, auctore Diomede, quibus adde IMUS.
Translation: Ocyor (more swift), ocyssimus (most swift) and potior (more able), potissimus (most able) lack positives, unless they are from okys (swift) in Greek and potis (able) in Latin. Novissimus (most new) and summus (highest) only have the superlative, acording to the author Diomede, to which add IMUS.
lV. A nominibus substantivis juvenis et senex fiunt tantum comparativa junior et senior. Penitior et penitissimus a positivo penitus, a, um. Plautus writes, “Usque ex penitis faucibus.
Translation: lV. From the substantive nouns juvenis (young man) and senex (old men) are made only the comparatives junior (younger) and senior (older). Penitior (deeper) et penitissimus (most deeply) from the positive adjective penitus, a, um (deep). Plautus writes, “Usque ex penitis faucibus.” (“Even from the bottom of my throat.”).
Summary
In this lesson, we have studied a number of irregular adjectives as regards the formation of comparatives and superlatives.
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