In Latin, as in English, there are three degrees of comparison: the Positive, the Comparative, and the Superlative.
COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
§§123–131 · 9 sections
The Comparative is regularly formed by adding -ior (neuter -ius),
the Superlative by adding -issimus (-a, -um), to the stem of the Positive, which loses its final vowel:—
| cārus, dear (stem cāro-); | cārior, dearer; | cārissimus, dearest. |
| levis, light (stem levi-); | levior, lighter; | levissimus, lightest. |
| fēlīx, happy (stem fēlīc-); | fēlīcior, happier; | fēlīcissimus, happiest. |
| hebes, dull (stem hebet-); | hebetior, duller; | hebetissimus, dullest. |
Participles when used as adjectives are regularly compared:—
- patiēns, patient; patientior, patientissimus.
- apertus, open; apertior, apertissimus.
Adjectives in -er form the Superlative by adding -rimus to the nominative. The comparative is regular:—
- ācer, keen; ācrior, ācerrimus.
- miser, wretched; miserior, miserrimus.
So vetus (gen. veteris) has superlative veterrimus, from the old form veter; and mātūrus, besides its regular superlative (mātūrissimus), has a rare form mātūrrimus.
For the comparative of vetus, vetustior (from vetustus) is used.
Six adjectives in -lis form the Superlative by adding -limus to the stem clipped of its final i-. These are facilis, difficilis, similis, dissimilis, gracilis, humilis.
- facilis (stem facili-), easy; facilior, facillimus.
Compounds in -dicus (saying) and -volus (willing) take in their comparison the forms of the corresponding participles dīcēns and volēns, which were anciently used as adjectives:—
- maledicus, slanderous; maledīcentior, maledīcentissimus.
- malevolus, spiteful; malevolentior, malevolentissimus.
So, by analogy, compounds in -ficus:—
- māgni ficus, grand; māgnificentior, māgnificentissimus.
Some adjectives are compared by means of the adverbs magis, more, and maximē, most.
So especially adjectives in -us preceded by e or i:—
- idōneus, fit; magis idōneus, maximē idōneus.
Irregular Comparison
Several adjectives have in their comparison irregular forms:—
| bonus, good; | melior, better; | optimus, best. |
| malus, bad; | pêior, worse; | pessimus, worst. |
| māgnus, great; | mâior, greater; | maximus, greatest. |
| parvus, small; | minor, less; | minimus, least. |
| multus, much; | plūs (N.) (§ 120), more; | plūrimus, most. |
| multī, many; | plūrēs, more; | plūrimī, most. |
| nēquam (indecl., § 122. b), worthless; | nēquior; | nēquissimus. |
| frūgī (indecl., § 122. b), useful, worthy; | frūgālior; | frūgālissimus. |
| dexter, on the right, handy; | dexterior; | dextimus. |
Defective Comparison
Some Comparatives and Superlatives appear without a Positive:—
| ōcior, swifter; | ōcissimus, swiftest. |
| potior, preferable; | potissimus, most important. |
The following are formed from stems not used as adjectives:
—
| cis, citrā (adv., on this side): | citerior, hither; | citimus, hithermost. |
| dē (prep., down): | dēterior, worse; | dēterrimus, worst. |
| in, intrā (prep., in, within): | interior, inner; | intimus, inmost. |
| prae, prō (prep., before): | prior, former; | prīmus, first. |
| prope (adv., near): | propior, nearer; | proximus, next. |
| <*>ltrā (adv., beyond): | ulterior, farther; | ultimus, farthest. |
Of the following the positive forms are rare, except when used as nouns (generally in the plural):—
| exterus, outward; | exterior, outer; | extrēmus (ex timus), outmost |
| īnforus, below (see § 111. b); | īnferior, lower; | īnfimus (īmus), lowest. |
| posterus, following; | posterior, latter; | postrēmus (pos tumus), last. |
| superus, above; | superior, higher; | suprēmus or sum mus, highest |
But the plurals, exterī, foreigners; īnferī, the gods below; posterī, posterity, superī, the heavenly gods, are common.
Several adjectives lack the Comparative or the Superlative:—
The Comparative is rare or wanting in the following:—
| bellus, | inclutus (or inclitus), | novus, |
| caesius, | invictus, | pius, |
| falsus, | invītus, | sacer, |
| fīdus (with its compounds), | meritus, | vafer. |
The Superlative is wanting in many adjectives in -ilis or -bilis (as, agilis, probābilis), and in the following:—
| āctuōsus | exīlis | prōclīvis | surdus |
| agrestis | ingēns | propinquus | taciturnus |
| alacer | iēiūnus | satur | tempestīvus |
| arcānus | longinquus | sēgnis | teres |
| caecus | oblīquus | sērus | vīcīnus |
| diūturnus | opīmus | supīnus |
From iuvenis, youth, senex, old man (cf. § 122. d), are formed the comparatives iūnior, younger, senior, older. For these, however, minor nātū and mâior nātū are sometimes used (nātū being often omitted).
The superlative is regularly expressed by minimus and maximus, with or without nātū.
Many adjectives (as aureus, golden) are from their meaning incapable of comparison.