Questions tagged [adiectivum]
For questions about adjectives.
90
questions
31
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What gender should a predicate adjective be to agree with a series of things with different genders?
I'd like the translate the following sentence into Latin:
Pompeii, Rome, and Herculaneum are visited by the boys.
However, since these three cities have different genders, I'm struggling to choose ...
asked Feb 23 '16 at 18:18
Nathaniel is protesting
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25
votes
5answers
3k views
What did “actuālis” actually mean in Latin?
The word actual is a false friend between the Spanish and the English languages. When we say in Spanish "la hora actual" we really mean "the current time" and not "the actual time". So in Spanish we ...
17
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3answers
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The best way to say *interesting* in Latin
It's sometimes difficult to convey some meaning in such an old language as Latin. I have trouble with the word interesting. I've heard someone say iucundus in this meaning, but it's not an accurate ...
14
votes
2answers
358 views
Are there many irregular adjectives for the Latin comparison?
I just learned the comparison for adjectives. Most adjectives have regular conjugations (every case/grammatical gender has its own output). But I learned a few irregular adjectives as well (all in ...
13
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1answer
112 views
When did nouns and adjectives derived from pronouns appear?
Latin has some nouns and adjectives derived from pronouns:
unicus, identitas, qualitas, neutralis…
I have the impression that such derivations are mainly later than classical, but I do not ...
12
votes
1answer
136 views
Is fessus a participle?
The adjective fessus (wearied, tired, fatigued, worn out, weak, feeble, infirm) sounds and looks like it could well be a participle.
If there is a verb, I would assume it to mean something in the ...
12
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1answer
213 views
How can participles (inflected forms) be distinguished from deverbal adjectives (derived forms) in Latin?
Many modern linguistic analyses of languages like English draw a sharp theoretical distinction between participles, which are analyzed as inflected forms belonging to the paradigm of some verb, and ...
12
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1answer
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Ūtāturne linguā Latīnā aliquis adverbō «ferē» velut linguā Anglicā verbō «almost» ūtimur?
Linguā Anglicā, saepe cum multīs adverbīs atque adiectīvīs, plūrima quōrum significātiōnēs absolūtās habent (exempla sunt «always» vel «everything» vel «nothing» vel «never», et cētera), adverbō «...
11
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3answers
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Why νώ (rather than νῶ) from νόω? (Greek)
Consider these masculine nominative singular and masculine nominative dual forms:
νοῦς, νώ
κανοῦν, κανώ
μνᾶ, μνᾶ
γῆ, γᾶ
I understand that the circumflex in these forms represents an acute ...
11
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1answer
220 views
Why do some 2nd decl. “-er” adjectives and nouns drop the “e” in the stem?
Is there any rule explaining why certain second-declension nouns and adjectives with a nominative -er ending drop the e when declined (e.g. ager, liber, pulcher), and why others keep it (e.g. puer, ...
10
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3answers
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Meaning of *iuvenis*
I seem to remember reading that iuvenis referred to someone roughly between 15 and 30. However, my Collins Latin Dictionary states it refers to someone between 30 and 45. Since a man could serve as ...
10
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1answer
481 views
Comparison of omnes, cuncti, and universi
The three adjectives omnis, cunctus, and universus appear to be essentially synonymous.
They are often used in the plural.
The entries in L&S suggest very strong similarity, but I find it unlikely ...
10
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2answers
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Is it “bene videtur” or “bonum videtur”? Adjective or adverb with verbs/copulae meaning “seem”
With verbs like "seem, appear", one sometimes uses an adverb to express how something appears ("she looked well"), at other times an adjective ("he seemed angry"). How did the Romans do it, ...
10
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2answers
353 views
In the title “Ars Goetia,” is “Goetia” an appositive noun?
Ars Goetia is a well-known book about demonology written in Mediaeval Latin. I'm having trouble analyzing the grammatical structure of the title. Ars is a feminine noun in the singular nominative form....
9
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3answers
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How To Say “-able” in Latin
Is it possible to use something similar to the English suffix "-able" to show that the action described can be done by someone or something? If not, what phrases do you suggest to use in its place?
9
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1answer
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Usage of adjective solus
I'm trying to translate the sentence "The whole state was thanking this man's brother alone." (that is, the brother the only one being thanked)
My try is: Tota civitas fratri huius soli gratias agebat....
9
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1answer
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Interchange between u- and o-stem forms in suffixed derivatives (e.g. “lectus”, “lectuarius”)
A little while back, I asked a question about the alleged Latin word "tribalis" (which it seems was not actually used), and I mentioned that it seemed to me that it would be an irregular formation ...
9
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1answer
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Deriving adjectives from city names
One can often derive adjectives from city names, the most famous example probably being Romanus from Roma.
Such derivatives are typically formed with -anus or -ensis.
My impression is that -anus is ...
9
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1answer
532 views
Are “parvus” and “magnus” the best adjectives to describe the length of a river?
In the first chapter of Lingua Latina per se Ilustrata, there are a series of sentences used to teach the usage of two adjectives, magnus and parvus. For example:
Nīlus fluvius magnus est. ...
asked Feb 17 '17 at 17:43
Nathaniel is protesting
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9
votes
1answer
110 views
Aut *celer* aut *vēlōx*?
Celer and vēlōx are often treated as synonymous. I feel certain that I learned the technical distinction between them once: that celer was potential speed, while vēlōx was actual speed. So Usain Bolt ...
8
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3answers
397 views
What are the normal genitive and dative singular forms of “alius”?
Some sources mention a genitive singular alius, but I've also seen aliae. And I don't recall seeing a dative singular ali, but neither do I remember alio. I think several forms exist, including even ...
8
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1answer
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Niveus and nivosus
I would like to compare the two adjectives niveus and nivosus derived from nix, "snow".
My prior understanding of these words was that niveus is "snow-white" and nivosus is "snowy", but L&S tells ...
8
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1answer
88 views
Quo modo Latine redditur “fool proof”?
Quo modo expressio Anglica "fool proof" Latine reddi potest?
Nullum idioma Latinum significatione simile scio.
Eandem rem Latine exprimere possum, exempli gratia dicendo "perbene munitus", sed malim ...
8
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1answer
149 views
Translating “Hic fortissimus, primus inter pares” into English
I am currently studying Latin in high school (third year), so I do have a mild understanding of how the language works. But I would like to know whether this translation is correct. For various ...
8
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1answer
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Negativus and positivus
When, if ever, did the adjectives negativus and positivus evolve into an antonym pair like the English "negative" and "positive", and how did positivus get this meaning?
Deriving negativus from the ...
8
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1answer
114 views
Does “plurimi” imply “vast majority” in Augustine's Enchiridion?
In Augustine's Enchiridion, §112, he writes:
Frustra itaque nonnulli, immo quam plurimi, aeternam damnatorum poenam et cruciatus sine intermissione perpetuos humano miserantur affectu, atque ita ...
asked Oct 22 '18 at 16:18
Nathaniel is protesting
10.1k3 gold badges26 silver badges88 bronze badges
8
votes
1answer
651 views
Unde “-cundus”?
I have learned that there is a suffix -cundus, found in words like fecundus, jucundus/jocundus, and rubicundus, which means something like "full of" or "characterized by." It seems to often be ...
7
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3answers
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What is “old” in the age of a wine?
If I were to say "this man is 40 years old" in Latin, I would say hic vir 40 annos natus est.
That is, I would use the participle natus instead of any adjective meaning "old", and it is my impression ...
7
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3answers
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Cibus sanus — healthy food?
The Duolingo Latin course uses sanus as "healthy" in connection with meals.
A healthy lunch would be prandium sanum according to the course.
But I always thought that sanus is only refers to the ...
7
votes
3answers
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Origin of “lunatĭcus”
In Spanish we have the word lunático with the following meaning:
One who suffers from madness, not continuous, but at intervals.
This word comes from Latin lunatĭcus. According to Lewis & ...
7
votes
2answers
111 views
How to translate “main”?
I am looking for a Latin adjective — or several adjectives if no single one is enough — meaning "main".
I might want to talk about a main building or the main idea of a theory.
The only ...
7
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1answer
858 views
How to emphasize adjectives?
In English, and most modern European languages, we have one single word, "very," which is accepted as the regular way to make an adjective more extreme.
Is there a common way to do this in Latin?
Ways ...
7
votes
2answers
323 views
Can “per-” be applied to any adjective?
A long while ago, I came across a few dictionary entries under per-, meaning "very." I saw peracer, perbonus, and some others. But, I'm not sure if per- can be used as a prefix for any adjective. Can ...
7
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1answer
239 views
Nominalized adjective in Latin?
How to nominalize adjectives in Latin? In English, adjectives can be nominalized with a slight different in meaning: "the sick man", "the sick".
In German, it's possible to nominalize the present ...
7
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1answer
203 views
Is the noun Bonum, -i simply a substantive of the adjective Bonus, -a -um?
The noun Bonum ("a good thing") seems to have taken on a life of its own as a distinct word in Latin usage.
In derivation and meaning, is this simply a neuter substantive of the adjective Bonus ("...
7
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1answer
326 views
SPQR: Why not Romani?
The motto of the Roman Republic was, of course, Senatus Populusque Romanus, or SPQR. However, Romanus is a masculine, singular adjective. What confuses me is that it is referencing Senatus Populusque. ...
7
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1answer
79 views
Is differens different?
I would like to understand the Latin participle differens and compare it to the English adjective "different".
The verb differre means roughly "to carry apart", but Lewis Elementary also lists "to be ...
7
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1answer
150 views
Slippery when wet
Sometimes people are warned of slippery surfaces with signs saying "slippery when wet".
I would like to know how to phrase such a sign in Latin.
Translating a full sentence is easier:
This road is ...
7
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1answer
2k views
How do you convert a noun to an adjective in Latin?
I'm thinking that a houseguest who stays on your couch should be something like hospes lectuli. But that sounds more like a guest invited by your couch, which is silly. In my non-expert understanding ...
7
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1answer
77 views
Expressing a number of years with a single word
An answer to an earlier question about age of wine introduced me to adjectives for specific ages in years.
Similarly, there are nouns for periods of time in years.
For example:
bimus & biennium
...
6
votes
2answers
2k views
What is “legendary” in Latin?
The English word "legendary" obviously comes from Latin, from the gerundive legendus, "that which is to be read".
(Less clumsy wording ideas are welcome!)
I might base a translation of the noun "...
6
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2answers
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What is the difference between suus and eius?
What is the difference between the possessive adjective
suus (his, hers, its, theirs)
(and its declensions)
and the genitive, possessive pronoun
eius (of her, of him, of it)?
Can these words be ...
6
votes
1answer
592 views
Which adjective to use for tallness of people?
If a person is tall, which adjectives can I use?
Which one of them is most common in classical Latin?
The most suitable-looking adjectives I know are altus, procerus and longus, but I found no clear ...
6
votes
2answers
181 views
Noun adjuncts in Latin
So this question asks about forming adjectives from nouns, but no clear answer is really given for a general method. In english, you can just use a noun as a adjective without any modification by ...
6
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1answer
1k views
What is “soaking wet”?
Is there a classical Latin adjective or other similar phrase for "soaking wet"?
I expect that I should take an adjective for "wet" and prefix it with per-, but I did not manage to find examples of ...
6
votes
1answer
106 views
Formation of words like “essive” or “adessive”
In modern linguistic terminology there are grammatical cases named essive and adessive. However, from a Latinate point of view those formations look abnormal: Usually, the ending -ivus is attached to ...
6
votes
1answer
133 views
Who carries something ending in -ium?
There is a traditional Finnish instrument (kannel or kantele) which tends to be called nablium in Latin.
How do I form the adjective for someone bearing this instrument using -fer?
There are things ...
6
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1answer
172 views
How would you translate the exclamation, “How morbid!”
I would like to exclaim in Latin, "how morbid!" This came up because just recently I read something morbid. But how would I say this? I am guessing that this is possible:
Quam morbidus!
But when I ...
6
votes
1answer
172 views
Are there Roman examples of “of Rome” instead of “Roman”?
In my experience it is extremely common to say, for example, rex Romanus instead of rex Romae.
In fact, I do not recall ever seeing a genitive when a local adjective can be used.
Translating to ...
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2answers
353 views
How can the use of “-aeus” as an adjective suffix in “Herculaeus” be explained?
Apparently, the English word "Herculean" has an old spelling variant "Herculæan". This seems to correspond to a Latin variant of the adjective "herculeus/Hercŭlĕus" spelled "Herculæus" (example: "...
