COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES
[*] 313.
Comparison by -τερος, -τατος.—The usual endings are:
For the comparative:
-τερος m.
-τερα_ f.
-τερον n.
For the superlative:
-τατος m.
-τατη f.
-τατον n.
The endings are added to the masculine stem of the positive. Comparatives are declined like
ἄξιος, superlatives like
ἀγαθός (
287).
δῆλος (
δηλο-)
clear,
δηλό-τερος, δηλό-τατος; ἰσχυ_ρός (
ἰσχυ_ρο-)
strong,
ἰσχυ_ρότερος, ἰσχυ_ρό-τατος; μέλα_ς (
μελαν-)
black,
μελάν-τερος, μελάν-τατος; βαρύς (
βαρυ-)
heavy,
βαρύ-τερος, βαρύ-τατος; ἀληθής (
ἀληθεσ-)
true,
ἀληθέσ-τερος, ἀληθέσ-τατος; εὐκλεής (
εὐκλεεσ-)
famous,
εὐκλεέσ-τερος, εὐκλεέσ-τατος.
a. χαριέστερος, -έστατος are from
χαριετ-τερος, -τατος (
83,
299 b), from
χαρίεις graceful. Compounds of
χάρις grace add
ο to the stem (
χαριτ-ο-), whence
ἐπιχαριτώτερος more pleasing.
πένης poor has
πενέσ-τερος from
πενετ-τερος, with
ε for
η.
b. Originally
-τερος had no other force than to contrast one idea with another, and this function is retained in
δεξίτερος right) (
ἀρίστερος left,
ἡμέτερος our) (
ὑ_μέτερος your. Hom. has several such words:
ἀγρότερος wild) (
tame,
θηλύτεραι γυναῖκες) (
men, cp. Arcadian
ἀρρέντερος from
ἄρρην male. Cp. 1082 b.
[*] 314. Adjectives in
-ος with a short penult lengthen
ο to
ω:
ϝέο-ς new,
ϝεώ-τερος, νεώ-τατος, χαλεπό-ς difficult,
χαλεπώ-τερος, χαλεπώ-τατος. An undue succession of short syllables is thus avoided.
a. If the penult is long either by nature or by position (
144),
ο is not lengthened:
λεπτός lean,
λεπτότερος, λεπτότατος. A stop and a liquid almost always make position here (cp.
145); as
πικρός bitter,
πικρότερος, πικρότατος. κενός empty and
στενός narrow were originally
κενϝος, στενϝος (Ionic
κεινός, στεινός, 37 D. 1), hence
κενότερος, στενότερος.
[*] 314 a. D. Hom.
ὀιζυ_ρώτατος (but cp. Att.
οἰζυ^ρός),
λα_ρώτατος (
λα^ερώτατος?).
[*] 315. The following drop the stem vowel
ο:
γεραιό-ς aged,
γεραί-τερος, γεραίτατος; παλαιό-ς ancient,
παλαί-τερος, παλαί-τατος; σχολαῖο-ς slow,
σχολαί-τερος, σχολαί-τατος; φίλο-ς dear,
φίλ-τερος (poetic),
φίλ-τατος (
319,
11).
a. Some other adjectives reject the stem vowel
ο and end in
-αιτερος, -αιτατος, as
ἥσυχος quiet,
ἴσος equal,
ὄρθριος early. These, like
σχολαίτερος and
γεραίτερος, imitate
παλαίτερος, which is properly derived from the adverb
πάλαι long ago. So
μεσαίτερος, -αίτατος imitate
μεσαι- in Hom.
μεσαι-πόλιος middle-aged.
[*] 316.
-εστερος, -εστατος.—By imitation of words like
ἀληθέσ-τερος, ἀληθέστατος (
313),
-εστερος, -εστατος are added to stems in
ον and to some in
οο (contracted to
ου). Thus,
εὐδαίμων happy,
εὐδαιμον-έστερος, -έστατος; ἁπλοῦς simple,
ἁπλούστερος (for
ἁπλο-εστερος),
ἁπλούστατος; εὔνους well-disposed,
εὐνούστερος, -ούστατος, and so in all others in
-νους from
νοῦς mind. (Others in
-οος have
-οωτερος:
ἀθροώτερος more crowded from
ἀθρόος.)
a. Some stems in
ον substitute
ο for
ον; as (from
ἐπιλήσμων forgetful,
ἐπιλησμονέσ-τερος)
ἐπιλησμό-τατος; πί_ων fat,
πι_ότερος, πι_ότατος; πέπων ripe has
πεπαίτερος, πεπαίτατος. Cp. 315 a.
b. Other cases: (with loss of
ο)
ἐρρωμένο-ς strong,
ἐρρωμενέστερος, -έστατος, ἄκρα_το-ς unmixed,
ἀκρα_τέστατος, ἄσμενο-ς glad,
ἄφθονο-ς abundant.
[*] 317.
-ιστερος, -ιστατος.—By imitation of words like
ἀχαρίστερος for
ἀχαριττερος (
83) from
ἄχαρις disagreeable,
-ιστερος, -ιστατος are used especially with adjectives of a bad meaning, as
κλεπτ-ίστατος (
κλέπτης thief,
321),
κακηγορίστερος (
κακήγορος abusive),
λαλ-ίστερος (
λάλος talkative).
[*] 318.
Comparison by -ι_ων, -ιστος.—Some adjectives add to the
root of the positive the endings
-ι_ων for the masculine and feminine,
-ι_ον for the neuter to form the comparative, and
-ιστος -η -ον to form the superlative. The vowel (or the syllable
ρο) standing before
ς of the nominative is thus lost.
Forms in
-ί_ων are declined like
βελτί_ων (
293), those in
-ιστος like
ἀγαθός (
287).
[*] 318 D. Hom. and Doric poetry have also
-ι^ων, which is as old as
-ι_ων. Forms in
-ι_ων, -ιστος are much commoner in poetry than in prose. Hom. has
βάθιστος (
βαθύς deep),
βράσσων (
βραχύς short),
βάρδιστος (
βραδύς slow),
κύ_διστος (
κυ_δρός glorious),
ὤκιστος (
ὠκύς quick).
[*] 319.
Irregular Comparison.—The commonest adjectives forming irregular degrees of comparison by reason of the sound changes or because several words are grouped under one positive, are the following. Poetic or Ionic forms are in ( ).
1. ἀγαθός good | ἀμείνων (from ἀμεν-ι_ων) | |
| (ἀρείων) | ἄριστος (ἀρ-ετή vir- |
| | tue) |
| βελτί_ων | βέλτιστος |
| (βέλτερος, not in Hom.) | (βέλτατος, not in |
| | Hom.) |
(κρατύς powerful) | κρείττων, κρείσσων | κράτιστος |
(cp. κράτος strength) | (κρέσσων) | (κάρτιστος) |
| (φέρτερος) | (φέρτατος, φέριστος) |
| λῴων (λωίων, λωίτερος) | λῷστος |
2. κακός bad | κακί_ων (κακώτερος) peior | κάκιστος |
| χείρων (χερείων) meaner, de- | χείριστος |
| terior (χειρότερος, χερειό- |
| τερος) |
| ἥττων, ἥσσων (for ἡκ-ι_ων) | (ἥκιστος, rare), adv. |
| weaker, inferior (ἕσσων) | ἥκιστα least of all |
3. καλός beautiful | καλλί_ων | κάλλιστος (κάλλ-ος |
| | beauty) |
4. μακρός long | μακρότερος (μάσσων) | μακρότατος (μήκι- |
| | στος) |
5. μέγας great | μείζων 318 (μέζων) | μέγιστος |
6. μι_κρός small | μι_κρότερος | μι_κρότατος |
(ἐλάχεια, f. of ἐλαχύς) | ἐλά_ττων, ἐλά_σσων (for ἐλα- | ἐλάχιστος |
| χι_ων) |
| μείων | (μεῖστος, rare) |
7. ὀλίγος little, pl. few | ὀλείζων (inscriptions) | ὀλίγιστος |
| (ὑπ-ὀλίζων Hom. rather less) |
8. πολύς much, pl. many | πλείων, πλέων, neut. πλέον, | πλεῖστος |
| πλεῖν |
9. ῥᾴδιος easy | ῥᾴων (Ion. ῥηίων) | ῥᾷστος |
(ῥηίδιος) | (ῥηίτερος) | (ῥηίτατος, ῥήιστος) |
10. ταχύς quick | θά_ττων, θά_σσων | τάχιστος |
| (ταχύτερος) | (ταχύτατος) |
11. φίλος dear | (φίλτερος) | φίλτατος |
| φιλαίτερος (Xenoph.) | φιλαίτατος(Xenoph.) |
| (φιλίων, rare in Hom.) |
a. ἀμείνων, ἄριστος express
aptitude,
capacity or
worth (
able,
brave,
excellent);
βελτί_ων, βέλτιστος,
a moral idea (
virtuous);
κρείττων, κράτιστος,
force and
superiority (
strong) (
ἥττων is the opposite of
κρείττων);
λῴων means
more desirable,
more agreeable (
ὦ λῷστε my good friend);
κακί_ων, κάκιστος express
moral perversity,
cowardice;
χείρων, χείριστος,
insufficiency,
lack of a quality (
less good) (
worthless,
good for nothing is
φαῦλος).
b. ἐλά_ττων, ἔλα_ττον, ἐλάχιστος refer to size:
smaller (opposed to
μείζων); or to multitude:
fewer (opp. to
πλείων).
μείων, μεῖον, ἧττον, ἥκιστα also belong both to
μι_κρός and to
ὀλίγος.
c. The orators prefer the longer form of
πλείων, especially the contracted
πλείω, πλείους, but the neut.
πλέον. πλεῖν is not contracted from
πλέον.
[*] 319 D. Hom. has also
κερδαλέος gainful,
crafty,
κερδι?̔ων, κέρδιστος; ῥι_γίων, ὁί_γιστος more,
most dreadful (cp.
ῥῖγος cold,
ῥι_γηλός chilling),
κήδιστος (
κηδεῖος dear,
κῆδος care).
[*] 320.
Defectives.—Some comparatives and superlatives are derived from prepositions or adverbs:
a. -ατος appears in
ὕπατος highest,
ἔσχατος farthest,
extreme (from
ἐξ).
[*] 320 D. Hom. has
ὁπλότερος younger,
ὁπλότατος. Several defectives denote
place; ἐπασσύτερος (
ἆσσον nearer),
παροίτερος (
πάροιθεν before),
μυχοίτατος (
μυχοῖ in a recess).
-ατος in
μέσατος, μέσσατος (
μέσος middle),
πύματος last,
νέατος lowest. For
ὕστατος Hom. has
ὑστάτιος; and
δεύτατος last from
δεύτερος second.
[*] 321. In poetry and sometimes in prose comparatives and superlatives are formed from substantives and pronouns. Hom. has
βασιλεύτερος more kingly,
-τατος (
βασιλεύς king),
ἑταιρότατος a closest companion (
ἑταῖρος comrade),
κύντερος more doglike,
-τατος (
κύων dog),
κουρότερος more youthful (
κοῦρος a youth). Aristophanes has
κλεπτίστατος most thievish (
κλέπτης thief,
317), and
αὐτότατος his very self, ipsissimus.
[*] 322.
Double Comparison.—A double comparative occurs sometimes to produce a comic effect, as
κυντερώτερος (
321). A double superlative is
πρώτιστος.
[*] 323.
Comparison by μᾶλλον, μάλιστα.—Instead of the forms in
-τερος, -τατος or
-ι_ων, -ιστος the adverbs
μᾶλλον more,
μάλιστα most, may be used with the positive; as
μᾶλλον φίλος more dear, dearer,
μάλιστα φίλος most dear, dearest. This is the only way of comparing participles and words that do not take the comparative and superlative endings (
μᾶλλον ἑκών more willing).
a. Comparison by
μᾶλλον, μάλιστα is common in the case of compound adjectives, adjectives with a prepositional prefix, verbal adjectives in
-τός, and adjectives in
-ιος.
[*] 324. To express
equality or
inferiority οὕτω as (often in correlation with
ὥσπερ),
ἧττον less, may be placed before the positive. Thus,
as good as handsome may be expressed by
οὕτως ἀγαθὸς ὥσπερ καὶ καλός, ὥσπερ ἀγαθὸς οὕτω καὶ καλός, οὖχ ἧττον καλὸς ἢ καὶ ἀγαθός.