In lesson 4 you learned about Group A adjectives, and in lesson 6 you learned about group B adjectives. Some of the adjectives you have learned describe an object as small (parvus, -a, -um) or thick (crassus, -a, -um) or short (brevis, -is, -e) or tall (grandis, -is, -e). They tell something about an object but do it in isolation from similar objects. This is the positive degree of an adjective and is the form learned when studying the vocabulary.
Comparative degree. Occasionally in botanical Latin descriptions, you may wish to compare some feature, length for example, of two structures and say that one is longer than the other or that one is shorter than the other. “Longer” is the comparative degree of the adjective “long” and “shorter” is the comparative degree of “short”.
To form the comparative degree of either a group A or a group B adjective—they are formed in the same way— first, determine the stem of the adjective, which is done by dropping the genitive singular ending. Then, add the endings below (see tables 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3).
| positive degree | comparative degree - masculine and feminine | comparative degree - neuter | |
| learned from vocabulary | stem of positive degree + ior | stem of positive degree + ius | |
| group A | parvus, -a, -um | parv + ior (genitive singular: parvioris) |
parv + ius (genitive singular: parvioris) |
| group B | brevis, -is, -e | brev + ior (genitive singular: brevioris) |
brev + ius (genitive singular: brevioris) |
| case | masculine and feminine | neuter |
| nominative | parvior, brevior | parvius, brevius |
| genitive | parvioris, brevioris | parvioris, brevioris |
| dative | parviori, breviori | parviori, breviori |
| accusative | parviorem, breviorem | parvius, brevius |
| ablative | parviore, breviore | parviore, breviore |
| case | masculine and feminine | neuter |
| nominative | parviores, breviores | parviora, breviora |
| genitive | parviorum, breviorum | parviorum, breviorum |
| dative | parvioribus, brevioribus | parvioribus, brevioribus |
| accusative | parviores, breviores | parviora, breviora |
| ablative | parvioribus, brevioribus | parvioribus, brevioribus |
Translation of comparative degree In addtion to translating the comparative degree with an ending of “-er” (longer, for example; used generally with features described by one syllable [“long” in this case]), the words “more” (for example., more pubescent) or “rather” (for example, rather branched) may be used.
Superlative degree. When you compare a measurable feature (e.g., length) of three or more plants, you may describe one as being the longest and another as the shortest. “Longest” is the superlative degree of “long”, and “shortest” is the superlative degree of “short”. As with the comparative degree, there is no difference between the superlative endings for group A adjective and those for group B.
Table 7.4 - formation of superlative degree of an adjective.| positive degree | superlative degree - masculine | superlative degree - feminine | superlative degree - neuter | |
| learned from vocabulary | stem of positive degree + issimus | stem of positive degree + issima | stem of positive degree + issimum | |
| group A | longus, -a, -um | long + issimus | long + issima | long + issimum |
| group B | brevis, -is, -e | brev + issimus | brev + issima | brev + issimum |
Note that the endings given below are the same as group A adjectives (i.e., first and second declension endings). Also note that the comparative degree endings for group A adjectives are identical to those for group B.
Table 7.5 - singular superlative degree of longus (long; group A) and brevis (short; group B).| case | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| nominative | longissimus, brevissimus | longissima, brevissima | longissimum, brevissimum |
| genitive | longissimi, brevissimi | longissimae, brevissimae | longissimi, brevissimi |
| dative | longissimo, brevissimo | longissimae, brevissimae | longissimo, brevissimo |
| accusative | longissimum, brevissimum | longissimam, brevissimam | longissimum, brevissimum |
| ablative | longissimo, brevissimo | longissimae, brevissimae | longissimo, brevissimo |
| case | masculine | feminine | neuter |
| nominative | longissimi, brevissimi | longissimae, brevissimae | longissima, brevissima |
| genitive | longissimorum, brevissimorum | longissimarum, brevissimarum | longissimorum, brevissimorum |
| dative | longissimis, brevissimis | longissimis, brevissimis | longissimis, brevissimis |
| accusative | longissimos, brevissimos | longissimas, brevissimas | longissima, brevissima |
| ablative | longissimis, brevissimis | longissimis, brevissimis | longissimis, brevissimis |
| {?} – | {?} – | {?} – |
Translation of superlative degree In addtion to translating the superlative degree with an ending of “-est” (longest, for example; used generally with features described by one syllable [“long” in this case]), the words “most” (for example., most shiny), “very” (for example, very branched), or “quite” (for example, quite viscid) may be used.