Chapters 26 and 271. Comparison of Adjectives

2. Comparison of Adverbs

3. The Subjunctive in English

4. The Present Subjunctive (including sum)

5. Independent Uses of the Subjunctive

6. The Perfect Subjunctive (including sum)

1. Comparison of AdjectivesPositive Comparative Superlative

blurry blurrier blurriestyellow yellower yellowestlong longer longest

expensive more expensive most expensive

In English, we form the comparative by adding the suffix “-er” or the word “more,” and the superlative by adding the suffix “-est” or the word most.

1. Comparison of AdjectivesPositive Comparative Superlative

laetus, -a, -um blurrier blurriestcarus, -a, -um yellower yellowest

tristis, -e longer longestsapiēns, sapientis more fun most fun

In Latin, there is only one way to form the comparative and superlative!

-comparative: add –ior, -ius to the stemdign- + -ior = dignior (m. + f) dign- + -ius = dignius

(n.)

-superlative: add –issim- to the stem, add –us, -a, -um (1st and 2nd declension endings

dign- + -issim- + -us = dignissimus, -a, -um

1. Comparison of Adjectivesm. and f. n.

Singularnom. tristior tristiusgen. tristiōris tristiōrisdat. tristiōrī tristiōrīacc. tristiōrem tristiusabl. tristiõre tristiõre

Pluralnom. tristiõrēs tristiõragen. tristiōrum tristiōrumdat. tristiōribus tristiōribusacc. tristiōrēs tristiōraabl. tristiõribus tristiõribus

Comparatives decline like third-declension nouns:so you get abl. sing. in –e, not -ī, and gen. pl. in –um, not īum like in third-declension adjectives

Superlatives (-issimus, -a, -um) you already know how to decline!

1. Comparison of AdjectivesIn Latin, you can compare two items in two ways:

1. Using quam (than): quam links the two items being compared; both items are in the same case

ex. illa fortior est quam ille, she is braver than he isex. Sapientiorem virum quam tē cognōvī, I knew a man wiser than you are

2. Using the ablative of comparison: if the first item is in the nominative or the accusative, you can leave out quam and put the second item in the ablative:

ex. illa fortior est illõ, she is braver than he isex. sapientorem virum illō cognovī, I knew a man wiser than that other guy

1. Comparison of Adjectives

Positive Comparative Superlativemiser, -a, -um miserior, miserius miserrimus, -a, -um

pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum

pulchrior, pulchrius pulcherrimus, -a, -um

ācer, ācris, ācre ācrior, ācrius ācerrimus, -a, -umfacilis, facile facilior, facilius facillimus, -a, -umsimilis, simile similior, similius simillimus, -a, -um

dissimilis, dissimile dissimilior, dissimilius disimillimus, -a, -um

As usual, there are exceptions in forming the superlative:-adjectives in –er add –rimus, -a, -um to the positive stem

-four adjectives in –lis (facilis, difficilis, dis/similis) add –limus, -a, -um

*the comparatives are formed in the regular way!

1. Comparison of Adjectives

Positive Comparative Superlativebonus, -a, -um

goodmelior, melius

betteroptimus, -a, -um

bestmagnus, -a, -um

bigmāior, māius

biggermaximus, -a, -um

biggestmalus, -a, -um

badpēior, pēius

worsepessimus, -a, -um

worstmultus, -a, -um

much, manyplūs, plūris

moreplūrimus, -a, -um

mostparvus, -a, -um

smallminor, minus

smallerminimus, -a, -umsmallest, least

superus, -a, -umupper

superior, superiushigher

summus, -a, -umsuprēmus, -a, -um

highest, furthest, top, last

As usual, there are irregular comparatives and superlatives!Notice that the words are often (not always) the same words that have irregular forms in English!

1. One More Thing…

plūs, plūris behaves a little differently in the singular and in the plural

-in the singular, it is used as a neuter noun and often takes a partitive genitive:

ex. plūs pecūniae

lit. “more of money”

-in the plural, it is an adjective and must agree with its noun

ex. plūres amīcī

“more friends”

2. Comparison of AdverbsPositive Comparative Superlative

cārēexpensively

cāriusmore expensively

cārissimēmost expensively

dignēworthily

digniusmore worthily

dignissimēmost worthily

celeriterquickly

celeriusmore quickly

celerrimēmost quickly

sapienterwisely

sapientiusmore wisely

sapientissimēmost wisely

-comparative: add –ius to the adjective stemcit- + -ius = citius alt- + -ius = altiusfort- + -ius = fortius

-superlative: add –ē to the superlative form of the adjectivedign- + -issim- + -ē = dignissimē

2. Comparison of Adverbs

Positive Comparative Superlativebenewell

meliusbetter

optimēbest

malēbadly

pēiusworse

pessimēworst

parumlittle

minusless

minimēleast

multummuch,

plūsmore (quantity)

plūrimummost, very much

magnoperegreatly

magismore (quality)

maximēmost, especially

As usual, there are irregular comparatives and superlatives!Notice that the words are often (not always) the same words that have irregular forms in English!

quam + superlative adverb = as ___________ as possible“quam celerrimē,” as quickly as possible

3. The Subjunctive in English

person number tense voice mood1st

2nd

3rd

singularplural

presentimperfect

future

perfectpluperfect

future perfect

activepassive

indicativesubjuncti

veimperativ

einfinitiveparticiple

3. The Subjunctive in EnglishSo far, you’ve been making statements in the indicative about reality and facts, or events that are certainly going to happen.

It is raining. I like rain.It is going to rain. It rained all night.

But what about all the things we say that do not refer to facts, actual events, reality, or that refer to events or situations that are contingent on other events/situations/conditions???

I wish it would stop raining!If it were going to rain, it would have started by now.What should we do if it rains?

To talk about these (and other) types of unreal or contingent situations, Latin uses the subjunctive mood.

3. The Subjunctive in EnglishEnglish actually has a subjunctive too!

What are the situations expressed in the following sentences:

“I would not do that if I were you!”

“She looked as if she had seen a ghost.”

“If I might be so bold….”

“I could have wished that you had gotten here earlier.”

“The pirates eat Brussels sprouts in order that they not get scurvy.”

4. The Present SubjunctiveStem Vowels in the Indicative

1st Conj. 2nd Conj. 3rd Conj. 3rd –io 4th Conj.amō,

amāremoneō, monēre

vincō, vincere

capiō, capere

audiō, audīre

-a- -ē- -e- -e- -ī-

Stem Vowels in the Subjunctive1st Conj. 2nd Conj. 3rd Conj. 3rd –io 4th Conj.

amō, amāre

moneō, monēre

vincō, vincere

capiō, capere

audiō, audīre

-e- -ea- -a- -ia- -ia-

The sign of the subjunctive is an -a-

Except in the first conjugation, which already has an –a- in the indicative: instead it switches to –e-

4. The Present Subjunctive…PRESENT INDICATIVE ACTIVE

amō, amāre moneō, monēre

vincō, vincere capiō, capere audiō, audīre

amōamāsamat

amāmusamātisamant

moneōmonēsmonet

monēmusmonētismonent

vincōvincisvincit

vincimusvincitisvincunt

capiōcapiscapit

capimuscapitiscapiunt

audiōaudīsaudit

audīmusaudītisaudiunt

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE ACTIVEamemamēsamet

amēmusamētisament

moneammoneāsmoneat

moneāmusmoneātismoneant

vincamvincāsvincat

vincāmusvincātisvincant

capiamcapiāscapiat

capiāmuscapiātiscapiant

audiamaudiāsaudiat

audiāmusaudiātisaudiant

Remember:We beat a

liar

4. …Including sumPRESENT

INDICATIVE ACTIVE

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

ACTIVEsum simes sīsest sit

sumus sīmusestis sītissunt sint

sum in the present subjunctive is regular! The subjunctive is signaled by an -ī-

5. Uses of the Subjunctive: IndependentCertain types of sentences in Latin use a subjunctive main verb—this is called an independent use of the subjunctive.

The main types of independent subjunctives are:

1. Hortatory (1st pl)/Jussive (3rd pl): urging or demanding an actionex. “Let’s go to the mall.”ex. “Let them eat cake!”

2. Optative: wishing for something (“if only,” “would that,” “may…,”)ex. “If I only had a brain.”ex. “Would that I were low laid in my grave.”

3. Deliberative: asking advice, expressing surprise, expressing doubt

ex. “What should we eat?”ex. “Who would have thought?”

5. Uses of the Subjunctive: IndependentThe hortatory or jussive subjunctive urges or demands an action

ex. “Let’s go to the mall.”ex. “Let them eat cake!”

In Latin, a hortatory subjunctive is used for the first person (usually) plural (let’s….). A jussive subjunctive is used for third person (let him…, let them….).

ex. hōs latrōnēs interficiāmus, let us kill these robbers. (hortatory)

ex. omēs civēs veniant, let all the citizens come. (jussive)

Instead of nōn, these subjunctives use nē for a negative.ex. ā lēgibus nē recēdāmus, let us not abandon the lawsex. nē domum redeat, let him not return home.

5. Uses of the Subjunctive: IndependentThe optative subjunctive expresses a wish

ex. “If I only had a brain.”ex. “Would that I were low laid in my grave.”

Optative subjunctives are often accompanied by the word utinam.

ex. utinam fugiat hostēs, (I hope/if only/would that) he escapes the enemy!

ex. sint incolumēs, May they be safe!/Would that they are safe!

The negative is nē.ex. nē vivam, sī sciō, May I not live, if I knowex. nē ille pereat, Would that he not die!

5. Uses of the Subjunctive: IndependentThe deliberative subjunctive can ask advice, or sometimes, can behave more like a rhetorical question or an exclamation expressing doubt or disbelief

ex. “What should we eat?”ex. “Who would have thought?”ex. “Where could he be?”

ex. quid agam? quō mē vertam?, what I am to do? To where should I turn?

ex. eam salūtem? Should I greet here?

The negative is nōn.ex. an ego nōn veniam?, or should I not come?

6. The Perfect Subjunctive…PERFECT INDICATIVE ACTIVE

amō, amāre moneō, monēre

vincō, vincere capiō, capere audiō, audīre

amāvīamāvistīamāvit

amāvimusamāvistis

amāvērunt

monuīmonuistīmonuit

monuimusmonuistis

monuērunt

vīcīvīcistīvīcit

vīcimusvīcistis

vincērunt

cēpīcēpistīcēpit

cēpimuscēpistis

cēpērunt

audīvīaudīvistīaudīvit

audīvimusaudīvistis

audīvērunt

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE ACTIVEamāverimamāverīsamāveritamāverīm

usamāverītisamāverint

monuerimmonuerīsmonuerit

monuerīmus

monuerītismonuerint

vīcerimvīcerīsvīcerit

vīcerīmusvīcerītisvīcerint

cēperimcēperīscēperit

cēperīmuscēperītiscēperint

audīverimaudīverīsaudīveritaudīverīm

usaudīverītisaudīverint

To form the perfect subjunctive:perfect stem + -eri- + personal endings (-m, -s, -t, -mus, -tis, -nt)

6. …Including sumPERFECT

INDICATIVE ACTIVE

PERFECT SUBJUNCTIVE

ACTIVEfuī fuerim

fuistī fuerīsfuit fuerit

fuimus fuerīmusfuistis fuerītis

fuērunt fuerint

sum in the perfect subjunctive is regular! The subjunctive is signaled by an -ī-