An Introduction to Adjectives

Adjectives in Latin, like in English, describe NOUNS.

• They can be possessive (my book, your table)

• They can be demonstrative (this book, that table)

• They can be substantive (the good, the bad, and the ugly--notice how the noun is missing)

• Most common are adjectives that are attributive (the red book, the round table).

Because ADJECTIVES modify NOUNS, which have GENDER, NUMBER, and CASE,
ADJECTIVES must match the NOUNS they modify in GENDER, NUMBER, and CASE.

There are TWO CATEGORIES of adjectives in Latin:

(1) First & Second Declension Adjectives (2) Third Declension Adjectives

First & Second Declension Adjectives

Sometimes called "us, -a, -um" adjectives.
These adjectives take all of the endings of the 1st and 2nd declension nouns.
The 1st declension endings are used for feminine nouns.
2nd declension endings are used for masculine and neuter nouns.

Third Declension Adjectives

Third Declension adjectives take all of their endings from 3rd declension noun endings, which accounts for all genders.

Within THIRD DECLENSION ADJECTIVES, we designate a slight distinction based on their nominative forms.

• THREE TERMINATION adjectives have a distinct form for their nominative masculine, nominative feminine, and nominative neuter (acer, acris, acre).

• TWO TERMINATION adjectives have a distinct nominative form for their masculine/feminine and their neuter nominative (levis, levis, leve).

• SINGLE TERMINATION has the same form for the nominative in all genders (vetus, vetus, vetus). These adjectives often have a dramatic stem change in the genitive and are typically listed in a dictionary by their nominative and genitive forms (vetus, veteris).

Most THIRD DECLENSION adjectives take "i-stem" endings

• Use an "i" in the ablative singular instead of the "e"

• Add an "i" before the "um" in the genitive plural

• Add an "i" before the "a" in the nom/acc plural of neuters

Substantive Adjectives

SUBSTANTIVE ADJECTIVES are used without a NOUN.

Examples in English are very infrequent: "the MEEK shall inherit the Earth" or "feeding the HOMELESS". The implication is that those adjectives are describing PEOPLE, but the noun is left unspoken.

Latin does this frequently. A good Latin Student will be able to supply the missing noun.

Some options are: Man/men, woman/women, thing/things, person/people, one/those.

Substantive use is especially popular for DEMONSTRATIVE adjectives (hic/haec/hoc, ille/illa/illud) and PARTICIPLES.

OTHER TYPES OF ADJECTIVES

THE NAUGHTY NINE

The Naughty Nine are 9 adjectives that look mostly like first and second declension adjectives, except that their genitive singular ending in all genders is "-īus" and their dative singular ending in all genders is "-ī" (similar to the demonstratives hic, haec, hoc and ille, illa, illud (discussed below) as well as the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod).

They are best remembered with the acronym UNUS NAUTA.

• Ullus, a, um (any)

• Nullus, -a, -um (none)

• Unus, -a, -um (one),

• Solus, -a, -um (alone)
  

• Neuter, neutra, neutrum (neither (of two))

• Alter, altera, alterum (the other (of two))

• Uter, utera, uterum (either (of two))

• Totus, -a, -um (all, whole)

• Alius, -a, -um (other)

DEMONSTRATIVES

The term "demonstratives" means that words so designated point out people or things, since the Latin de + monstro = 'I point out.'

Demonstratives can be used in two ways:

(1) with nouns as adjectives
(2) stand alone forms as pronouns.

The nominative singular of the demonstratives.

HIC (this) ILLE (that) ISTE (that) IS (this, that)

Is, Ea, Id is called the weak demonstrative because the force of its pointing out 'this' and 'that' is weaker than that of ille or hic.

Participles

PARTICIPLES are verbal adjectives.
They are adjectives (describing nouns) that are derived from VERBS.

For example, the running man, the wagging tail, the buried treasure.

While they can function as simple attributive adjectives, they can also take objects and other prepositional phrases as a verb might.

For example, the man, running a marathon; the tail wagging happily; the treasure buried in the sand.

Latin has FOUR participles.

• Present Active (verbing) participles takes 3rd declension endings

• Perfect passive (having been verbed, verbed) participles take 1st/2nd declension ending

• Future active (about to verb) participles take 1st/2nd declension ending

• Future Passive (about to be verbed) participles take 1st/2nd declension endings

More on participles here.

Possessive Adjectives

Like other adjectives, possessive adjectives describe the nouns they modify. However, possessive adjectives do so by indicating who owns or possesses a person or object. The owner is referred to as the possessor and the noun described by the adjective is the person or object possessed.

Because they are adjectives, they must match the noun they modify in gender, number, and case (regardless of the gender or number of the possessor).

These adjectives take 1st and 2nd declension endings.

Additionally it is worth noting that Latin uses possessives infrequently, especially in comparison to English.

A good Latin student will often have to supply a possessive adjective into their English translation even if it is not present.

For example: amo matrem = I love my mother vs. I love mother.

1st person: MY (meus, -a, -um) OUR (noster, nostra, nostrum)

2nd person: YOUR (tuus, -a, -um) YOUR (vester, vestra, vestrum)

Third Person Pronouns (his/her/its/their)

English has a quirk when it comes to discussing possessive adjectives in the third person.

There is ambiguity whether the adjective is reflexive (refers back to the subject) or whether the adjective is indicating an entirely different possessor. Take the following sentence for examples: John is walking to his house. Notice that the possessive adjective “his” may be referring to John or it may be referring to any other male person. To clear up this ambiguity, English speakers often employ the word “own” to indicate that the possessor is also the subject of the sentence. (source)

Latin is more precise in its 3rd person possessive.

If it is referring to the subject, it uses the adjective suus, a, um.

If it is referring to a different person, it uses the 3rd person pronoun in the genitive (possessive) case (eius/eorum/earum).

For example:

Caesar suam urbem amat = Caesar loves his (own) city Caesar eius urbem amat = Caesar loves his city

Livia suum filium amat = Livia loves her (own) son Livia eius filium amat = Livia loves his son

Cives suum ducem amat = the citizens love their (own) leader Cives eorum ducem amat = the citizens love their leader

INTERROGATIVE Pronoun & Adjective

The simplest employment of interrogative adjectives in Latin occurs when the question about the noun asks “what.”

For this type of question, “qui, quae, quod” (literally “what”) is used.

Just like any type of adjective, Latin interrogative adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify in case, number, and gender.

Recall that the noun and the adjective that modifies it may not necessarily have the same ending. (source)

COMPARATIVE & SUPERLATIVE ADJECTIVES

In English and Latin, there are three degrees of comparison: positive, comparative, and superlative.

• The POSITIVE form refers to the quality of one person or thing. It is simply the adjective form (wise, bright, expensive, red, interesting).

• The COMPARATIVE form compares the quality of one person of thing with that of another person or thing.

• The SUPERLATIVE form is used to stress the highest degree of quality. When we compare more than two things in English we often use the superlative form of an adjective.

COMPARATIVES: Forming, Declining, & Translating

In English we add "er" to the end (wiser, brighter) or we place "more" in front of the adjective (more expensive, more interesting).

FORM: Add ‘-ior’ to the Adjective's stem for the M/F nominative. Add "-ius" for the Neuter

Longus, a, um --> longior, longius (taller, longer)

Similis, similis, simile--> similior, similius (more alike)

Vetus, veteris-->veterior, veterius (older)

Felix, felicis --> felicior, felicius (luckier, happier)

DECLINE: Comparative adjectives always take THIRD DECLENSION endings, regardless of their category in the positive form (longioris = genitive).

TRANSLATE: The standard way to translate a comparative Latin adjective is the same as in English. Simply add "er" to the end of the positive form (bigger, faster) or the word "more" in front of the positive form (more eloquent). There are two alternatives.

• Alternative 1: "rather" (rather happy, rather fast)

• Alternative 2: "too" (too happy, too fast)

With Quam: When the comparative adjective (or adverb) is in a sentence with "quam", translate "quam" as "than"

SUPERLATIVE: Forming, Declining, & Translating

In English, we add ‘-est’ to the end of the adjective or precede it with ‘most’ (wisest, most expensive).

FORM: Add ‘-issimus, -a, -um' to the stem of the positive adjective.

Longissimus, -a, um (longest, tallest)

felicissimus (luckiest, most happy)

Exceptions

when an adjective's stem ends in "r" or "l", double the final consonant & add "imus, -a, -um"
veterrimus, -a, -um (oldest)

simillimus, -a, -um (most alike)

DECLINE: Superlative adjectives always take FIRST/SECOND DECLENSION endings, regardless of their category in the positive form (simillimi= genitive).

TRANSLATE: The standard translation for superlative adjectives in Latin is the same as in English. Simply add "-est" to the end of the positive form (biggest, fastest) or the word "most" in front of it (most eloquent). There is one alternative translation.

• Alternative: "Very" (very fast, very eloquent)

With Quam: When the Superlative adjective is combined with "quam" translate "as ADJECTIVE as possible"