Questions tagged [adiectivum]
For questions about adjectives.
100
questions
32
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2answers
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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
votes
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
487 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
votes
1answer
148 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 ...
13
votes
1answer
118 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
251 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
181 views
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
261 views
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
votes
1answer
585 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 ...
11
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1answer
304 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
votes
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
votes
2answers
310 views
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
votes
2answers
590 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....
10
votes
1answer
835 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 ...
9
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3answers
1k views
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
215 views
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
159 views
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
votes
1answer
223 views
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
votes
1answer
700 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. Tiberis ...
asked Feb 17 '17 at 17:43
Nathaniel is protesting
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9
votes
1answer
131 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
votes
3answers
441 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
votes
1answer
110 views
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
votes
1answer
1k 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 ...
8
votes
1answer
92 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
votes
1answer
402 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. ...
8
votes
1answer
167 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
votes
1answer
211 views
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
143 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
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8
votes
1answer
3k 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
votes
3answers
223 views
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
votes
3answers
202 views
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
546 views
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
129 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
votes
2answers
326 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
votes
1answer
295 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
votes
1answer
138 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
218 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
votes
1answer
112 views
How does Latin handle “picture nouns”?
"Picture nouns" are nouns like that have their own content such as, picture, story. In English this characteristics results in ambiguity. When we say "my photo" it may mean:
A ...
7
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1answer
194 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 ...
7
votes
1answer
85 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
votes
1answer
634 views
How to derive nouns from adjectives?
I know several ways to derive nouns from adjectives:
audax > audacia,
laetus > laetitia,
pius > pietas,
magnus > magnitudo.
Questions:
Are there any rules that govern which one of -ia, -itia, -tas ...
7
votes
1answer
182 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
votes
1answer
89 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
votes
2answers
3k views
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
686 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
267 views
Can the gerundive be used like an adjective?
Can I use a gerundive like I would use an adjective as in the following example?
It sounds fine to me, but I am somewhat suspicious; my intuition has failed before.
Infans lavandus clamabat.
The ...
6
votes
2answers
245 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
votes
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 ...
