Whether they were 1st and 2nd declension words like planus<\/b> or 3rd declension words like fortis<\/b>, most Latin adjectives took their comparative and superlative forms according to regular and consistent rules. Thus, \u201cflat, flatter, flattest\u201d was planus<\/b>, planior<\/b>, planissimus<\/b>; and \u201cstrong, stronger, strongest\u201d was fortis<\/b>, fortior<\/b>, fortissimus<\/b>. This feature of Latin adjective morphology has had very little effect on English. However, in the forms planissimus<\/b> and fortissimus<\/b> you may recognize the origins of the Italian pianissimo<\/i> and fortissimo<\/i>, musical terms (abbreviated as pp<\/i> and ff<\/i>) <\/i>that mean \u201cvery softly\u201d and \u201cvery loudly\u201d (\u201cvery strongly\u201d).<\/p>\r\n
Several irregular Latin comparative and superlative forms have left their mark on English. In the Indo-European language family, irregular comparison is a feature of the most commonly used adjectives: consider E \u201cgood, better, best\u201d or \u201cbad, worse, worst.\u201d A selection of irregular Latin comparatives and superlatives is given here:<\/p>\r\n\r\n
| LATIN ADJECTIVES<\/td>\r\n | ENGLISH MEANING<\/td>\r\n | ENGLISH DERIVATIVES<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| bonus, melior, optimus<\/b><\/td>\r\n | good, better, best<\/td>\r\n | ameliorate, optimist<\/i><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n| malus, pejor, <\/b>pessimus<\/b><\/td>\r\n | bad, worse, worst<\/td>\r\n | pejorative, pessimist<\/i><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n | magnus, major, maximus<\/b><\/td>\r\n | big, bigger, biggest<\/td>\r\n | major, majority, maximum<\/i><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n | parvus, minor, minimus<\/b><\/td>\r\n | small, lesser, least<\/td>\r\n | minor, minus, minimum<\/i><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n | multus, plus, plurimus<\/b><\/td>\r\n | much, more, most<\/td>\r\n | plus, plural, plurality<\/i><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n | Read that list through for general interest; you are not expected to commit it to memory. Other irregular Latin comparatives have entered English without change; among these are interior<\/b> (\u201cinner\u201d), exterior<\/b> (\u201couter\u201d), superior<\/b> (\u201chigher\u201d), inferior<\/b> (\u201clower\u201d), prio<\/b>r<\/b> (\u201cformer\u201d), posterior<\/b> (\u201clater\u201d), ulterior <\/b>(\u201cfarther\u201d), junior<\/b> (\u201cyounger\u201d), senior<\/b> (\u201colder\u201d). Their corresponding superlatives include extremus<\/b> (\u201coutermost\u201d), supremus<\/b> or summus<\/b> (\u201chighest\u201d), and ultimus<\/b> (\u201cfarthest\u201d).<\/p>","rendered":" Whether they were 1st and 2nd declension words like planus<\/b> or 3rd declension words like fortis<\/b>, most Latin adjectives took their comparative and superlative forms according to regular and consistent rules. Thus, \u201cflat, flatter, flattest\u201d was planus<\/b>, planior<\/b>, planissimus<\/b>; and \u201cstrong, stronger, strongest\u201d was fortis<\/b>, fortior<\/b>, fortissimus<\/b>. This feature of Latin adjective morphology has had very little effect on English. However, in the forms planissimus<\/b> and fortissimus<\/b> you may recognize the origins of the Italian pianissimo<\/i> and fortissimo<\/i>, musical terms (abbreviated as pp<\/i> and ff<\/i>) <\/i>that mean \u201cvery softly\u201d and \u201cvery loudly\u201d (\u201cvery strongly\u201d).<\/p>\n Several irregular Latin comparative and superlative forms have left their mark on English. In the Indo-European language family, irregular comparison is a feature of the most commonly used adjectives: consider E \u201cgood, better, best\u201d or \u201cbad, worse, worst.\u201d A selection of irregular Latin comparatives and superlatives is given here:<\/p>\n
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