1. Review of the Comparison of Adjectives
Positive Degree Adjectives
1st and 2nd Declension Adjectives
fidus fida fidum - faithful
miser misera miserum - poor, wretched
pulcher pulchra pulchrum - beautiful
3rd Declension Adjectives
acer acris acre - sharp, fierce (three termination)
brevis breve - short (two termination)
potens potentis - powerful (one termination)

2. Comparative Degree Adjectives
English = more adjective, ______-er, rather ________, too______
English Positive Degree: short
English Comparative Degree: shorter, more short, rather short,
too short
Latin = Positive Degree Stem + ior (mas. & fem) ius (neu.)
genitive: ioris
All Latin Comparative Degree Adjectives are declined as two
termination third declension adjectives with regular third
declension endings (not “i” stem endings).

3. Superlative Degree Adjectives
English = most adjective, ______-est, very ________, quite_______
English Positive Degree: short
English Comparative Degree: shorter, more short, too short,
rather short
English Superlative Degree: shortest, most short, very short
quite short
Latin =
1. Positive Degree Stem + issimus issima issimum
2. ( -er Adjectives) Nom. Mas. Sing. + rimus rima rimum
3. (six Adjectives) Positive Degree Stem + limus lima limum
All Latin Superlative Degree Adjectives are declined as first and
second declension adjectives.

4. The six Latin Adjectives that use limus lima limum to form the
Superlative Degree.
similis simile similar, like
dissimilis dissimile dissimilar
facilis facile easy
difficilis difficile difficult, hard
humilis humile low
gracilis gracile slender
In the Positive Degree these words are third declension
two termination adjectives.

5. Positive Degree Adjectives
fidus fida fidum - faithful
miser misera miserum - poor, wretched
pulcher pulchra pulchrum - beautiful
acer acris acre - sharp, fierce (three termination)
brevis breve - short (two termination)
potens potentis - powerful (one termination)
similis simile – similar (two termination)

6. Comparative Degree Adjectives
fidior fidius - more faithful
miserior miserius - poorer, more wretched
pulchrior pulchrius - more beautiful
acrior acrius - sharper, more fierce
brevior brevius - shorter
potentior potentius - more powerful
similior similius – more similar

7. Superlative Degree Adjectives
fidissimus –a -um - most faithful
miserrimus –a -um - poorest, most wretched
pulcherrimus –a -um - most beautiful
acerrimus –a -um - sharpest, most fierce
brevissimus –a -um - shortest
potentissimus –a -um - most powerful
simillimus –a -um – most similar

8. Partitive Genitive (Genitive of the Whole)
1. The Partitive Genitive, sometimes called the Genitive of the Whole, designates
the whole of which a part is taken. It is used with nouns, pronouns
(interrogative or indefinite), adjectives, adverbs (of quantity, degree, or place),
comparatives, superlatives, and ordinal numbers. In these expressions, the genitive
denotes the whole, modifying a word denoting a part.
2. Ex or de with the ablative case is generally used instead of the genitive with
numerals, especially cardinal numbers (except milia and with quidam, a
certain one). Ordinals generally take the genitive.
1. pars montis, part of the mountain
2. unus ex liberis, one of the children
3. duo milia militum, two thousands of soldiers (two thousand soldiers)
4. primus omnium, first of all
5. quidam ex legatis, certain of the legates
6. quis nostrum?, who of us?
7. pulchrior puellarum, the prettier of (two) girls
8. horum fortissimi, the bravest of these