COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

Adjectives in -ος with a short penult lengthen ο to ω: ϝέο-ς new, ϝεώ-τερος, νεώ-τατος, χαλεπό-ς difficult, χαλεπώ-τερος, χαλεπώ-τατος. An undue succession of short syllables is thus avoided.

a. If the penult is long either by nature or by position (144), ο is not lengthened: λεπτός lean, λεπτότερος, λεπτότατος. A stop and a liquid almost always make position here (cp. 145); as πικρός bitter, πικρότερος, πικρότατος. κενός empty and στενός narrow were originally κενϝος, στενϝος (Ionic κεινός, στεινός, 37 D. 1), hence κενότερος, στενότερος.

The following drop the stem vowel ο: γεραιό-ς aged, γεραί-τερος, γεραίτατος; παλαιό-ς ancient, παλαί-τερος, παλαί-τατος; σχολαῖο-ς slow, σχολαί-τερος, σχολαί-τατος; φίλο-ς dear, φίλ-τερος (poetic), φίλ-τατος (319, 11).

a. Some other adjectives reject the stem vowel ο and end in -αιτερος, -αιτατος, as ἥσυχος quiet, ἴσος equal, ὄρθριος early. These, like σχολαίτερος and γεραίτερος, imitate παλαίτερος, which is properly derived from the adverb πάλαι long ago. So μεσαίτερος, -αίτατος imitate μεσαι- in Hom. μεσαι-πόλιος middle-aged.

-εστερος, -εστατος.—By imitation of words like ἀληθέσ-τερος, ἀληθέστατος (313), -εστερος, -εστατος are added to stems in ον and to some in οο (contracted to ου). Thus, εὐδαίμων happy, εὐδαιμον-έστερος, -έστατος; ἁπλοῦς simple, ἁπλούστερος (for ἁπλο-εστερος), ἁπλούστατος; εὔνους well-disposed, εὐνούστερος, -ούστατος, and so in all others in -νους from νοῦς mind. (Others in -οος have -οωτερος: ἀθροώτερος more crowded from ἀθρόος.)

a. Some stems in ον substitute ο for ον; as (from ἐπιλήσμων forgetful, ἐπιλησμονέσ-τερος) ἐπιλησμό-τατος; πῑ́ων fat, πῑότερος, πῑότατος; πέπων ripe has πεπαίτερος, πεπαίτατος. Cp. 315 a.

b. Other cases: (with loss of ο) ἐρρωμένο-ς strong, ἐρρωμενέστερος, -έστατος, ἄκρᾱτο-ς unmixed, ἀκρᾱτέστατος, ἄσμενο-ς glad, ἄφθονο-ς abundant.

-ιστερος, -ιστατος.—By imitation of words like ἀχαρίστερος for ἀχαριττερος (83) from ἄχαρις disagreeable, -ιστερος, -ιστατος are used especially with adjectives of a bad meaning, as κλεπτ-ίστατος (κλέπτης thief, 321), κακηγορίστερος (κακήγορος abusive), λαλ-ίστερος (λάλος talkative).

Comparison by -ῑων, -ιστος.—Some adjectives add to the root of the positive the endings -ῑων for the masculine and feminine, -ῑον for the neuter to form the comparative, and -ιστος -η -ον to form the superlative. The vowel (or the syllable ρο) standing before ς of the nominative is thus lost.

Forms in -ῑ́ων are declined like βελτῑ́ων (293), those in -ιστος like ἀγαθός (287).

The commonest adjectives forming irregular degrees of comparison by reason of the sound changes or because several words are grouped under one positive, are the following. Poetic or Ionic forms are in ( ).

a. ἀμείνων, ἄριστος express aptitude, capacity or worth (able, brave, excellent); βελτῑ́ων, βέλτιστος, a moral idea (virtuous); κρείττων, κράτιστος, force and superiority (strong) (ἥττων is the opposite of κρείττων); λῴων means more desirable, more agreeable (ὦ λῷστε my good friend); κακῑ́ων, κάκιστος express moral perversity, cowardice; χείρων, χείριστος, insufficiency, lack of a quality (less good) (worthless, good for nothing is φαῦλος).

b. ἐλᾱ́ττων, ἔλᾱττον, ἐλάχιστος refer to size: smaller (opposed to μείζων); or to multitude: fewer (opp. to πλείων). μείων, μεῖον, ἧττον, ἥκιστα also belong both to μῑκρός and to ὀλίγος.

c. The orators prefer the longer form of πλείων, especially the contracted πλείω, πλείους, but the neut. πλέον. πλεῖν is not contracted from πλέον.

Some comparatives and superlatives are derived from prepositions or adverbs:

a. -ατος appears in ὕπατος highest, ἔσχατος farthest, extreme (from ἐξ).

In poetry and sometimes in prose comparatives and superlatives are formed from substantives and pronouns. Hom. has βασιλεύτερος more kingly, -τατος (βασιλεύς king), ἑταιρότατος a closest companion (ἑταῖρος comrade), κύντερος more doglike, -τατος (κύων dog), κουρότερος more youthful (κοῦρος a youth). Aristophanes has κλεπτίστατος most thievish (κλέπτης thief, 317), and αὐτότατος his very self, ipsissimus.

A double comparative occurs sometimes to produce a comic effect, as κυντερώτερος (321). A double superlative is πρώτιστος.

Comparison by μᾶλλον, μάλιστα.—Instead of the forms in -τερος, -τατος or -ῑων, -ιστος the adverbs μᾶλλον more, μάλιστα most, may be used with the positive; as μᾶλλον φίλος more dear, dearer, μάλιστα φίλος most dear, dearest. This is the only way of comparing participles and words that do not take the comparative and superlative endings (μᾶλλον ἑκών more willing).

a. Comparison by μᾶλλον, μάλιστα is common in the case of compound adjectives, adjectives with a prepositional prefix, verbal adjectives in -τός, and adjectives in -ιος.

To express equality or inferiority οὕτω as (often in correlation with ὥσπερ), ἧττον less, may be placed before the positive. Thus, as good as handsome may be expressed by οὕτως ἀγαθὸς ὥσπερ καὶ καλός, ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς οὕτω καὶ καλός, οὖχ ἧττον καλὸς ἢ καὶ ἀγαθός.