Ch. 38

HW: 38A 1,2,4,5,6,8,9; 38B 2 and the following for extra credit:
Compose an English sentence with the idiom “the more…the more…” or "the -er...the -er" (see sect. 384) and then translate it into Latin.


This chapter is pretty straightforward; much of it is review or things we have mentioned before.

Section 381

In addition to what the book says here, I will tell you that ablative of comparison is almost never used except when the first thing being compared is nominative or accusative (usually subject or direct object of its clause).

Example:
No one is dumber than Marcus.
Nemo(nom. subj.) est stupidior Marco (abl.).

Section 382

Warns you that "than" (quam) is not needed in Latin in comparisons with "more than" or "less than" followed by a number.

more than 5 > plus quinque (V)
less than a thousand > minus mille (M)

In origin, this is probably because the number was treated as an ablative of comparison--only most numbers have no case endings.

Yet it also applies to cases where the numbers have endings:
Minus ducentos (acc.) homines vidi. I saw less (than) two hundred people.

Section 383

Where we only use one comparative is an expression like "more rich than smart", Latin uses comparatives for both adjectives. Literally the Latin will say something like: He is stronger (rather) than smarter.

Examples:
The ditch is deeper than it is wide. Fossa altior quam latior est.
The man was stronger than he was skilled. Vir validior/fortior quam peritior erat.
You ran more swiftly than far. Celerius quam longius cucurristi.

Section 384

In expressions like the "The more I fight, the more I lose," or "The faster I run, the more quickly I get home," each comparative will usually be proceeded by an ablative of degree or measure of difference (unless a form of quis intervenes). One of the ablatives will be eo or tanto (or occasionally "hoc"/"illo"), the other will be quo or quanto.

Examples:
The more (often) I win, the less you do.
Quo plus (or "saepius") vinco, eo minus tu.
The slower I walk, the later I will get home.
Quo lentius ambulo, eo serius ad domum adveniam.
The more gravely/seriously I hurt someone, the faster they* ran away.
Quanto cui^ gravius nocui, tanto celerius effugit*.
^cui is here used instead of alicui just as after si, nisi, num, and ne.
*Notice where we typically say "they" (though "he" is more proper), Latin uses a 3rd singular form reflecting the singular indefinite pronoun cui (= alicui after quanto, "someone").

Section 385

This warns you to use multo with comparative to say things like "much larger" or "far smaller" but use longe with superlative expressions like "much the richest" or "by far the longest"

Examples:
much larger
multo maior
far smaller
multo parvior
much the richest
longe ditissimus
by far the wisest
longe sapientissimus

Section 386 & 387

The superlative is usually used to translate phrases like "very good" and "as small as possible" (with preceding quam) except when "very" appears in a negative construction where "too" or "more" (or -er) could be substituted with no change in meaning.

Examples:
She is very strong.
Ea est validissima/fortissima.
Run as quickly as you can (or "as possible").
Curre quam celerrime.

Comparative in negative construction:
They were hoping the enemy would not arrive very quickly.
Restated: They were hoping the enemy would not arrive too quickly(or "more quickly (than they hoped)").
Sperabant ne hostes celerius advenirent. {Fear or negative optative clause

Section 388

Superlatives are used to praise or criticize people. Duh!

Use homo with negative-sounding superlatives and vir (or femina) with positive-sounding ones. Typically the superlatives follow the noun.

They want you to use superlatives in this chapter for regular adjectives such as "brave" or "evil" when they praise or criticize someone. In English we can achieve the same emphasis with a regular positive that we mark with our tone of voice: "he is a BAD guy", "she is a GREAT friend". Latin tends to use the superlative in most examples of praise and criticism.


Examples:
A BAD fellow, The worst fellow
homo pessimus
A SMART woman, The smartest woman
Femina intelligentissima