134 COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
a. Observe that the endings are those of the consonant stems of the third declension.
b. Compare longus, long; fortis,
brave; recēns (base, recent-), recent; and
decline the comparative of each.
304.
Adjectives in -er form the comparative regularly, but the
superlative is formed by adding -rimus, -a, -um to the nominative
masculine of the positive; as,
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
ācer, ācris, ācre |
ācrior, ācrius | ācerrimus, -a, -um |
pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum |
pulchrior, pulchrius | pulcherrimus, -a, -um |
līber, lībera, līberum |
līberior, līberius | līberrimus, -a, -um |
a. In a similar manner compare miser, aeger, crēber.
305. The comparative is often translated by quite, too, or somewhat, and the superlative by very; as, altior, quite (too, somewhat) high; altissimus, very high.
306.
EXERCISES
First learn the special vocabulary, p. 296.
I.
- Quid explōrātōrēs quaerēbant? Explōrātōrēs tempus opportfūissimum itinerī quaerēbant.
- Mediā in silvā ignīs quam crēberrimōs fēcimus, quod ferās tam audācis numquam anteā vīderāmus.
- Antīquīs temporibus Germānī erant fortiōrēs quam Gallī.
- Caesar erat clārior quam inimīcī[1] quī eum necāvērunt.
- Quisque scūtum ingēns et pīlum longius gerēbat.
- Apud barbarōs Germānī erant audācissimī et fortissimī.
- Mēns hominum est celerior quam corpus.
- Virī aliquārum terrārum sunt miserrimī.
- Corpora Germānōrum erant ingentiōra quam Rōmānōrum.
- Ācerrimī Gallōrum prīncipēs sine ūllā morā trāns flūmen quoddam equōs vēlōcissimōs trādūxērunt.
- Aestāte diēs sunt longiōrēs quam hieme.
- Imperātor quīdam ab explōrātōribus dē recentī adventū nāvium longārum quaesīvit.
II.
- Of all birds the eagle is the swiftest.
- Certain animals are swifter than the swiftest horse.
- The Roman name was most
- ↑ Why is this word used instead of hostēs?
