Latin for Beginners, Benjamin Leonard D'Ooge [easy novels to read .TXT] 📗

gives the force of as possible, as «quam» audācissimī virī, men as bold as possible «recens», gen. «recentis», adj., recent «tam», adv., so. Always with an adjective or adverb, while «ita» is generally used with a verb

«quaerō, quaerere, quaesīvī, quaesītus», ask, inquire, seek (question). Cf. «petō»

«300.» The quality denoted by an adjective may exist in either a higher or a lower degree, and this is expressed by a form of inflection called comparison. The mere presence of the quality is expressed by the positive degree, its presence in a higher or lower degree by the comparative, and in the highest or lowest of all by the superlative. In English the usual way of comparing an adjective is by using the suffix -er for the comparative and -est for the superlative; as, positive high, comparative higher, superlative highest. Less frequently we use the adverbs more and most; as, positive beautiful, comparative more beautiful, superlative most beautiful.

In Latin, as in English, adjectives are compared by adding suffixes or by using adverbs.

«301.» Adjectives are compared by using suffixes as follows:

  POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE
  clārus, -a, -um clārior, clārīus clārissimus, -a, -um
    (bright) (brighter) (brightest)
    (BASE clār-)
  brevis, breve brevior, brevius brevissimus, -a, -um
    (short) (shorter) (shortest)
    (BASE brev-)
  vēlōx vēlōcior, vēlōcius vēlōcissimus, -a, -um
    (swift) (swifter) (swiftest)
    (BASE veloc-)

    a. The comparative is formed from the base of the positive by
    adding «-ior» masc. and fem., and «-ius» neut.; the superlative by
    adding «-issimus, -issima, -issimum».

«302.» Less frequently adjectives are compared by using the adverbs «magis», more; «maximē», most; as, «idōneus», suitable; «magis idōneus», more suitable; «maximē idōneus», most suitable.

«303.» «Declension of the Comparative.» Adjectives of the comparative degree are declined as follows:

SINGULAR PLURAL MASC. AND FEM. NEUT. MASC. AND FEM. NEUT. Nom. clārior clārīus clārīōrēs clāriōra Gen. clāriōris clāriōris clāriōrum clāriōrum Dat. clāriōrī clāriōrī clāriōribus clāriōribus Acc. clāriōrem clārius clāriōrēs clāriōra Abl. clāriōre clāriōre clāriōribus clāriōribus

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
    (BASE acr-)
  pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum pulchrior, pulchrius pulcherrimus,
    (BASE pulchr-) -a, -um
  līber, lībera, līberum līberior, līberius līberrimus, -a, -um
    (BASE līber-)

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. 1. Quid explōrātōrēs quaerēbant? Explōrātōrēs tempus opportfūissimum itinerī quaerēbant. 2. Mediā in silvā ignīs quam crēberrimōs fēcimus, quod ferās tam audācis numquam anteā vīderāmus. 3. Antīquīs temporibus Germānī erant fortiōrēs quam Gallī. 4. Caesar erat clārior quam inimīcī[1] quī eum necāvērunt. 5. Quisque scūtum ingēns et pīlum longius gerēbat. 6. Apud barbarōs Germānī erant audācissimī et fortissimī. 7. Mēns hominum est celerior quam corpus. 8. Virī aliquārum terrārum sunt miserrimī. 9. Corpora Germānōrum erant ingentiōra quam Rōmānōrum. 10. Ācerrimī Gallōrum prīncipēs sine ūllā morā trāns flūmen quoddam equōs vēlōcissimōs trādūxērunt. 11. Aestāte diēs sunt longiōrēs quam hieme. 12. Imperātor quīdam ab explōrātōribus dē recentī adventū nāvium longārum quaesīvit.

II. 1. Of all birds the eagle is the swiftest. 2. Certain animals are swifter than the swiftest horse. 3. The Roman name was most hateful to the enemies of the commonwealth. 4. The Romans always inflicted the severest[2] punishment on faithless allies. 5. I was quite ill, and so I hastened from the city to the country. 6. Marcus had some friends dearer than Cæsar.[3] 7. Did you not seek a more recent report concerning the battle? 8. Not even after a victory so opportune did he seek the general’s friendship.

[Footnote 1: Why is this word used instead of «hostēs»?]

[Footnote 2: Use the superlative of «gravis».]

    [Footnote 3: Accusative. In a comparison the noun after «quam» is in
    the same case as the one before it.]

N.B. Beginning at this point, the selections for reading will be found near the end of the volume. (See p. 197.)

LESSON LIV IRREGULAR COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES THE ABLATIVE WITH COMPARATIVES WITHOUT QUAM

[Special Vocabulary]

«alacer, alacris, alacre», eager, spirited, excited (alacrity) «celeritās, -ātis», f., speed (celerity) «clāmor, clāmōris», m., shout, clamor «lēnis, lēne», mild, gentle (lenient) «mulier, muli´eris», f., woman «multitūdō, multitūdinis», f., multitude «nēmŏ», dat. «nēminī», acc. «nēminem» (gen. «nūllīus», abl. «nūllō», from «nūllus»), no plur., m. and f., no one «nōbilis, nōbile», well known, noble «noctū», adv. (an old abl.), by night (nocturnal) «statim», adv., immediately, at once «subitō», adv., suddenly «tardus, -a, -um», slow (tardy) «cupiō, cupere, cupīvī, cupītus», desire, wish (cupidity)

«307.» The following six adjectives in «-lis» form the comparative regularly; but the superlative is formed by adding «-limus» to the base of the positive. Learn the meanings and comparison.

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE facilis, -e, easy facilior, -ius facillimus, -a, -um difficilis, -e, hard difficilior, -ius difficillimus, -a, -um similis, -e, like similior, -ius simillimus, -a, -um dissimilis, -e, unlike dissimilior, -ius dissimillimus, -a, -um gracilis, -e, slender gracilior, -ius gracillimus, -a, -um humilis, -e, low humilior, -ius humillimus, -a, -um

«308.» From the knowledge gained in the preceding lesson we should translate the sentence Nothing is brighter than the sun

«Nihil est clārius quam sōl»

But the Romans, especially in negative sentences, often expressed the comparison in this way,

«Nihil est clārius sōle»

which, literally translated, is Nothing is brighter away from the sun; that is, starting from the sun as a standard, nothing is brighter. This relation is expressed by the separative ablative «sōle». Hence the rule

«309.» RULE. «Ablative with Comparatives.» The comparative degree, if «quam» is omitted, is followed by the separative ablative.

«310.» EXERCISES

First learn the special vocabulary, p. 296.

I. 1. Nēmō mīlitēs alacriōrēs Rōmānīs vīdit. 2. Statim imperātor iussit nūntiōs quam celerrimōs litterās Rōmam portāre. 3. Multa flūmina sunt lēniōra Rhēnō. 4. Apud Rōmanōs quis erat clārior Caesare? 5. Nihil pulchrius urbe Rōmā vīdī. 6. Subitō multitūdo audacissima magnō clamōre proelium ācrius commīsit. 7. Num est equus tuus tardus? Nōn vērō tardus, sed celerior aquilā. 8. Ubi Romae fuī, nēmō erat mihi amicior Sextō. 9. Quaedam mulierēs cibum mīlitibus dare cupīvērunt. 10. Rēx vetuit cīvis ex urbe noctū discēdere. 11. Ille puer est gracilior hāc muliere. 12. Explōrātor duās (two) viās, alteram facilem, alteram difficiliōrem, dēmōnstrāvit.

II. 1. What city have you seen more beautiful than Rome? 2. The Gauls were not more eager than the Germans. 3. The eagle is not slower than the horse. 4. The spirited woman did not fear to make the journey by night. 5. The mind of the multitude was quite gentle and friendly. 6. But the king’s mind was very different. 7. The king was not like (similar to) his noble father. 8. These hills are lower than the huge mountains of our territory.

[Illustration: ARMA ROMANA]

LESSON LV

IRREGULAR COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES (Continued)

[Special Vocabulary]

  «aedificium, aedifi´cī», n., building, dwelling (edifice)
  «imperium, impe´rī», n., command, chief power; empire
  «mors, mortis (-ium)», f., death (mortal)
  «reliquus, -a, -um», remaining, rest of. As a noun, m. and n. plur.,
    the rest (relic)
  «scelus, sceleris», n., crime
  «servitūs, -ūtis», f., slavery (servitude)
  «vallēs, vallis (-ium)», f., valley

  «abdō, abdere, abdidī, abditus», hide
  «contendō, contendere, contendī, contentus», strain, struggle;
     hasten (contend)
  «occīdō, occīdere, occīdī, occīsus», cut down, kill. Cf. «necō»,
    «interficiō»
  «perterreō, perterrēre, perterruī, perterritus», terrify, frighten
  «recipiō, recipere, recēpī, receptus», receive, recover;
    «sē recipere», betake one’s self, withdraw, retreat
  «trādō, trādere, trādidī, trāditus», give over, surrender, deliver
    (traitor)

«311.» Some adjectives in English have irregular comparison, as good, better, best; many, more, most. So Latin comparison presents some irregularities. Among the adjectives that are compared irregularly are

POSITIVE COMPARATIVE SUPERLATIVE «bonus, -a, -um», good «melior, melius» «optimus, -a, -um» «magnus, -a, -um», great «maior, maius» «maximus, -a, -um» «malus, -a, -um», bad «peior, peius» «pessimus, -a, -um» «multus, -a, -um», much «——, plūs» «plūrimus, -a, -um» «multī, -ae, -a», many «plūrēs, plūra» «plūrimī, -ae, -a» «parvus, -a, -um», small «minor, minus» «minimus, -a, -um»

«312.» The following four adjectives have two superlatives. Unusual forms are placed in parentheses.

  «exterus, -a, -um», («exterior, -ius», { «extrēmus, -a, -um» }
    outward outer) {(«extimus, -a, -um») }
                                                outermost, last
  «īnferus, -a, -um», «īnferior, -ius», { «īnfimus, -a, -um» }
    low lower { «īmus, -a, -um» }
                                                lowest
  «posterus, -a, -um», («posterior, -ius», { «postrēmus, -a, -um» }
    next later)