DEGREES OF COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES

In this lesson you will:

· Become familiar with the degrees of comparison.

· Learn how to form the comparative degree.

· Learn how to form the superlative degree.

This lesson is divided into the following sections:

I. Introduction: Degrees of comparison.

II. The comparative degree.

III. The superlative degree.

IV. Exercises.

V. Vocabulary

I. INTRODUCTION: DEGREES OF COMPARISON

The adjectives are gradable. This means that the person or thing referred to can possess more or less of the quality mentioned. The usual way to indicate the amount of a quality in Latin is by adding specific suffixes to the word’s stem.

There are three degrees of comparison of adjectives in Latin:

· Positive degree: The positive degree expresses a quality of thing or person for itself, without comparing to a similar quality of other things or persons. It is the basic form of adjective, by which it is presented in the dictionaries: longus, a, um; frontālis, e.

· Comparative degree.

· Superlative degree.

II. The comparative degree

The comparative degree expresses a higher quality of thing or person as compared with the same quality of other things or persons. It is formed by adding the suffixes –ĭor for masculine & feminine and –ĭus for neuter to the stem of adjectives (obtained from the genitive form without its ending).

The dictionary form of the adjectives has two components:

1. Nominative singular masculine & feminine form with the suffix –ĭor;

2. Suffix –ĭusof the Nominative singular neuter form.

E.g.: anterĭor, ĭus

You should remember the adjectives in comparitive degree used in the anatomical terminology:

Examples of different English translations of the comparative degree:

1) Lat. Tubercŭlum majus (humĕri) - Eng. Greater tubercle of humeri

2) Lat. Forāmen occipitāle magnum - Eng. Great occipital foramen

3) Lat. Nervus petrōsus major - Eng. Greater petrosal nerve

4) Lat. Nervus occipitālis major - Eng. Greater occipital nerve

5) Lat. Nervus auriculāris magnus - Eng. Great auricular nerve

The stem of the adjectives in the comparative degree coincides with the Nominative masculine & feminine form terminated by –ior. The comparative degree is declined on the pattern of the 3^rd declension. The Genitive singular form in the comparative degree is formed by adding the ending –is to the stem.

E.g.: stem - superior + Genitive ending of the 3^rd declension –is = superiōris for masculine & feminine & neuter.

The adjectives in the comparative degree are placed on the last position:

E.g.: nervus cutaněus brachĭi laterālis inferĭor –inferior lateral cutaneous nerve of the arm

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 1472