ADIECTIVA

 AGREEMENT: Adjectives agree with the noun which they modify in CASE, NUMBER, and GENDER.

  • Thus Marc-us may be improb-us, but he will never be improb-a. (Marcus is nominative, singular, masculine, so improbus must be as well.)
  • It is VITAL to note that agreement does not mean that the noun and adjective will have case endings which are spelled alike. Each will have the ending particular to ITS OWN declension for that specific case, number, and gender (Marc-us trist-is est, NOT trist-us, because the nominative, singular, masculine ending for the third declension adjective "tristis" is [-is] NOT [-us] as it is for the second declension "Marcus").

 

 SUBSTANTIVAL USAGE: Adjectives can stand by themselves in the place of a noun.

  • [Improbi] ad circum maximum eunt. [The wicked (men)] go to the Circus Maximus.

 

 DEGREE: Adjectives have three degrees:

  • POSITIVUS: the simple adjective in both 1st & 2nd and 3rd declension types. e.g. probus, -a, -um (positive adjective 1st & 2nd declension); turpis, -e (positive adjective 3rd declension). [e.g. Marcus improbus est. = Marcus is wicked.]
  • COMPARATIVUS: this form functions to compares one noun to another when combined with "quam" and the nominative or accusative or with an Ablative of Comparison. [e.g. Marcus improbior quam Quintus est. OR Marcus improbior Quinto est. = Marcus is more wicked than Quintus.] May also act as an intensive form without the comparative construction to be translated with the addition of the word "rather" or "too." Comparative adjectives are 3rd declension. [e.g. Marcus improbior est. = Marcus is rather wicked.]

  • SUPERLATIVUS: Acts as an emphatic form to be translated by addition of the word "most" or "very" or the suffix [-est] to the English positive adjective. Superlative adjectives are 1st & 2nd declension. [e.g. Marcus improbissimus est. = Marcus is the most wicked.]

 

 DECLENSIONS: There are only two primary kinds of adjectives: those which use the first and second noun declension endings, and those which use the third declension noun endings.

 Adjective Declension  Dictionary Entry

 

First & Second

 improb-us, -a, -um;

pulcher, -ra, -rum

 Third

 trist-is, -e; [2 endings]

celer, -is, -e; [3 endings]

potens, -entis [1 ending]

 

  POSITIVE DEGREE ADJECTIVES:

(1st & 2nd Declension)
   M-singular  M-plural  F-singular  F-plural  N-singular  N-plural
Nominativus    improb-us   improb-i   improb-a   improb-ae  improb-um  improb-a
 Accusativus   improb-um   improb-os   improb-am   improb-as  improb-um  improb-a
 Genetivus   improb-i   improb-orum   improb-ae   improb-arum  improb-i  improb-orum
 Dativus   improb-o   improb-is   improb-ae  improb-is  improb-o  improb-is
 Ablativus   improb-o   improb-is   improb-a  improb-is  improb-o  improb-is

 

(3rd Declension)

Third declension adjectives of two endings (by far the most common) appear thus: tristis, -e.
   M/F-singular  M/F-plural  N-singular  N-plural
 Nominativus  trist-is  trist-es  trist-e  trist-ia
 Accusativus  trist-em  trist-es [or -is]  trist-e  trist-ia
 Genetivus  trist-is  trist-ium  trist-is  trist-ium
 Dativus  trist-i  trist-ibus  trist-i  trist-ibus
 Ablativus  trist-i  trist-ibus  trist-i  trist-ibus

Third declension adjectives of three endings appear thus: celer, -is, -e. The masculine and feminine differ only in the nominative singular.

   M/F-singular  M/F-plural  N-singular  N-plural
 Nominativus   celer; celer-is  celer-es  celer-e  celer-ia
 Accusativus  celer-em  celer-es [or -is]  celer-e  celer-ia
Genetivus  celer-is  celer-ium  celer-is  celer-ium
 Dativus  celer-i  celer-ibus  celer-i  celer-ibus
 Ablativus  celer-i  celer-ibus  celer-i  celer-ibus

Third declension adjectives of one ending appear thus: potens, -entis. Masculine, feminine, and neuter nominative singular are the same. These forms are derived from the present active participle.

   M/F-singular  M/F-plural  N-singular  N-plural
 Nominativus  potens  potent-es  potens  potent-ia
 Accusativus  potent-em  potent-es  potens  potent-ia
 Genetivus  potent-is  potent-ium  potent-is  potent-ium
 Dativus  potent-i  potent-ibus  potent-i  potent-ibus
 Ablativus  potent-i  potent-ibus  potent-i  potent-ibus

 

 Comparative Adjectives: (3rd declension)
   M/F singularis  M/F pluralis  N singularis N pluralis
 Nominativus  improb-ior  improb-ior-es  improb-ius   improb-ior-a
 Accusativus  improb-ior-em  improb-ior-es  improb-ius   improb-ior-a
 Genetivus  improb-ior-is   improb-ior-um  improb-ior-is   improb-ior-um
 Dativus  improb-ior-i   improb-ior-ibus  improb-ior-i  improb-ior-ibus
 Ablativus  improb-ior-e  improb-ior-ibus  improb-ior-e  improb-ior-ibus

NOTA BENE:

  • Comparative adjectives are consonant stem.
  • Translate as "more X," "X-er," or "rather/too X." e.g. formosior; "more pretty," "prettier," or "rather/ too pretty."

 SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES: (1st & 2nd declension)
   Masculine  Feminine  Neuter
 Nominativus (singularis)   improb-issim-us  improb-issim-a   improb-issim-um
 Accusativus  improb-issim-um  improb-issim-am   improb-issim-um
 Genetivus   improb-issim-i   improb-issim-ae   improb-issim-i
 Dativus  improb-issim-o   improb-issim-ae  improb-issim-o
 Ablativus  improb-issim-o   improb-issim-a  improb-issim-o
       
 Nominativus (pluralis)   improb-issim-i   improb-issim-ae  improb-issim-a
 Accusativus  improb-issim-os  improb-issim-as  improb-issim-a
 Genetivus  improb-issim-orum  improb-issim-arum  improb-issim-orum
 Dativus  improb-issim-is  improb-issim-is  improb-issim-is
 Ablativus  improb-issim-is  improb-issim-is  improb-issim-is

NOTA BENE:

  • Translate as "the most X" or "the X-est." e.g. formosissimus; "the most pretty" or "the prettiest."
  • Adjectives which end in [-er] in the nominative, singular, masculine have the superlative form with [-errim-] rather than [-issim-]. e.g pulch-er (positive), pulchr-ior (comparative), pulch-errim-us (superlative).

 

Liber Grammaticus Latinus /\\||\\/ Classis Latina MIII Pagina Villae