The principles of Latin grammar; comprising the ... - Essan.org

;— Gracus, Romanus, peregrinus;—;66 COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES. § 26Note.— Mir if ic us has also mirificissbnus in the superlative. The cornpoundsof loquus are not found in the superlative.4. The following adjectives want the positive :Deterior, worse, deterrimus. Propior, nearer, proximus.Ocior, swifter, ocissimus. Ulterior, farther, ultimus.Prior, former, primus.5. The following adjectives want the comparative :Inclytus, renowned, inclytissimus. Nuperus, late, nuperrimus.Invictus, invincible, invictissimus. Par, equal, parissimus.Meiitus, deserving, meritissimus. Persuasus, persuaded, persuasissimus,"Novus, new, novissimus. Sacer, sacred, sacernmus.6. The following adjectives want the superlative :Adolescens, young, adolescentior. Opimus, rich, opimior.Diuturnus, lasting, diuturnior. Pronus, bending down, pronior.Ingens, huge, ingentior. ^t\xr, full, saturior.Juvenis, young, j*mior. Senex, old, senior.Note.—The superlative of juvenis, or adolescens, is supplied by minimusndtu, the youngest ; senex takes maximus ndJu, the oldest.7. Almost all adjectives in ills (penult long), alls, and bills.want the superlative ; as, civllls, civil, civilior; regalis, regal,regalior; flebilis, lamentable, jlebilior.Note.—Some adjectives of these terminations have the superlative alsoas wqudlis, frugdlis, hospitdlis, liberdlis, vocdlls— affabilis, amabilis, kahilis,ignobilis, mirabilis, mobilis, mutabilis, nobilis, stabilis.Some adjectives of other terminations also want the superlative ; as, arcdnus,ior, secret ; decllvis, ior, bending downwards ; longinquus, far off, ior;propmquus, near, ior; salutdris, healthful, salutarior.Anterior, former, and sequior, worse, are found only in the comparative.Nequam, worthless (indeclinable), has nequior, nequissimus.8. Many adjectives have no degrees of comparison at all,because they denote invariable qualities. They are such asdenote substance, origin, possession, or definite time ; as, aureus,adamanfinus— paternus, eqiriiu's;—a;stlvus, hibemus, vlvus, &c.9. Many adjectives which do not denote invariable qualities,are yet without comparative and superlative forms. They are1st. Adjectives ending in imus, inus, drus, and most adjectives in Ivus ;as, legitimus, matutlnus, canorus, fugitlvus : also adjectives in us after avowel ; as, dubius, idoneus, arduus, &c. ; except adjectives in quus, in which,however, the first u does not form a syllable (8-2) ; and sometimes assiduus,egregius, plus, strenuus ajd vacuus, which are also regularly compared.