Irregular Comparative and Superlative Adjectives
There are a number of adjective classes that form their comparative and superlative degrees irregularly.
Superlatives for -er and -lis Adjectives
If the masculine nominative singular positive form of an adjective ends in -er (e.g., pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum; acer, acris, acre) or in -lis (e.g., facilis, -e, “easy”; similis, -e, “similar”), the superlative is not formed regularly.
For -er adjectives, you must take the entire masculine nominative singular positive form, duplicate the final consonant, and then add the endings -imus, -ima, -imum. For example:
- pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum, “beautiful, handsome” > pulchrior, pulchrius, “more beautiful, more handsome” > pulcher + r + imus = pulcherrimus, -a, -um, “most beautiful, most handsome”
- acer, acris, acre, “sharp” > acrior, acrius, “more sharp” > acer + r + imus = acerrimus, -a, -um, “most sharp”
pulcherrimum virum in urbe vīdimus. We saw the most handsome man in the city.
petitī sunt ab acerrimīs mīlitibus. They were attacked by the fiercest soldiers.
For -lis adjectives, you must take the stem of the adjective, duplicate the final -l, and then add -imus, -ima, -imum. For example:
- facilis, -e, “easy” > facilior, facilius, “easier” > facil + l + imus = facillimus, -a, -um, “easiest”
- similis, -e, “similar” > similior, similius, “more similar” > simil + l + imus = simillimus, -a, -um, “most similar”
puerī facillima carmina canēbant. The boys were singing the easiest songs.
amīcus meus simillimus mihi est. My friend is very similar to me.
Irregular Comparatives and Superlatives
Some adjectives have completely irregular changes from the positive to the comparative to the superlative degree and simply must be memorized. Here is a chart of irregular comparatives and superlatives and some notes on specific forms.
| Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| bonus, -a, -um, “good” | melior, melius, “better” | optimus, -a, -um, “best” |
| magnus, -a, -um, “big” | maior, maius, “bigger” | maximus, -a, -um, “biggest” |
| malus, -a, -um, “bad” | pēior, pēius, “worse” | pessimus, -a, -um, “worst” |
| multus, -a, -um, “much; many” | *plūs, plūris, “more” | plūrimus, -a, -um, “most” |
| parvus, -a, -um, “small” | minor, minus, “smaller” | minimus, -a, -um, “smallest, least” |
| **(none) | prior, prius, “former, previous” | prīmus, -a, -um, “first” |
| superus, -a, -um, “upper” | superior, superius, “higher” | summus, -a, -um, “highest, furthest; top of”; suprēmus, -a, -um, “highest, last” |
* plūs, plūris is an odd form that acts like a third declension neuter noun in the singular but an irregular third declension adjective in the plural.
Singular
| Case | Neuter |
|---|---|
| Nominative | plūs |
| Genitive | plūris |
| Dative | (no dative form) |
| Accusative | plūs |
| Ablative | plūre |
Because the singular acts as a noun, it cannot modify another noun. As a result, this noun often takes a construction called the partitive genitive, a genitive noun that indicates what there is more of. For example:
- plūs pecūniae habēmus. We have more money. (literally, “We have more of money.”)
Plural
| Case | M./F. | Neuter |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | plūrēs | plūra |
| Genitive | plūrium | plūrium |
| Dative | plūribus | plūribus |
| Accusative | plūrēs | plūra |
| Ablative | plūribus | plūribus |
Note that the plural forms are adjectives that must agree with a noun in gender, case, and number (e.g., plūrēs mīlitēs, “more soldiers”; plūrium carminum, “of more songs”), but the neuter nominative and accusative plural do not have the expected -ia ending; instead, the ending is simply -a.
** prior and prīmus do not have a positive degree, since their very definitions (“previous” and “first” respectively) necessarily are comparative and superlative in nature; something cannot be “previous” without being “previous” to something else.