Prīmus et Secundus Annus, Lessons XLIX–LIV

Pronouns Classified: Personal and Reflexive Pronouns (D'Ooge XLIX)

Personal pronouns refer back

Videō mē means I see myself. Mē refers back to the subject expressed by videō.

Latin uses mē and nōs as first person reflexives, and tē and vōs as second person reflexives.

Sē serves singular and plural

Puer sē videt means the boy sees himself. Latin uses the special third person reflexive sē for himself, herself, itself, and themselves.

Iī sē vident means they see themselves. The complete set of third person reflexive forms is the same in singular and plural.

Singular and plural

1
I see myself
videōvideo: see, perceive
mēego: I
2
we see ourselves
3
you see yourself
4
you see yourselves
5
the boy sees himself
6
the girl sees herself
7
the animal sees itself
8
they see themselves

D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (1911), Lesson XLIX, §§278-282

§278. We have the same kinds of pronouns in Latin as in English. They are divided into the following eight classes:

1. Personal pronouns, which show the person speaking, spoken to, or spoken of; as, ego, I; tū, you; is, he. (Cf. §279. etc.)

2. Possessive pronouns, which denote possession; as, meus, tuus, suus, etc. (Cf. §98.)

3. Reflexive pronouns, used in the predicate to refer back to the subject; as, he saw himself. (Cf. §281.)

4. Intensive pronouns, used to emphasize a noun or pronoun; as, I myself saw it. (Cf. §285.)

5. Demonstrative pronouns, which point out persons or things; as, is, this, that. (Cf. §112.)

6. Relative pronouns, which connect a subordinate adjective clause with an antecedent; as, quī, who. (Cf. §220.)

7. Interrogative pronouns, which ask a question; as, quis, who? (Cf. §225.)

8. Indefinite pronouns, which point out indefinitely; as, some one, any one, some, certain ones, etc. (Cf. §296.)

§279. The demonstrative pronoun is, ea, id, as we learned in §115, is regularly used as the personal pronoun of the third person (he, she, it, they, etc.).

§280. The personal pronouns of the first person are ego, I; nōs, we; of the second person, tū, thou or you; vōs, ye or you. They are declined as follows:

       SINGULAR
       FIRST PERSON                  SECOND PERSON
Nom. ego, I                        tū, you
Gen. meī, of me                    tuī, of you
Dat. mihi, to or for me          tibi, to or for you
Acc. mē, me                        tē, you
Abl. mē, with, from, etc., me    tē, with, from, etc., you

       PLURAL
Nom. nōs, we                       vōs, you
Gen. nostrum or nostrī, of us      vestrum or vestrī, of you
Dat. nōbīs, to or for us         vōbīs, to or for you
Acc. nōs, us                       vōs, you
Abl. nōbīs, with, from,          vōbīs, with, from, etc., you
         etc., us

1. The personal pronouns are not used in the nominative excepting for emphasis or contrast.

§281. The Reflexive Pronouns. 1. The personal pronouns ego and tū may be used in the predicate as reflexives; as,

videō mē, I see myself
  vidēmus nōs, we see ourselves
vidēs tē, you see yourself
  vidētis vōs, you see yourselves

2. The reflexive pronoun of the third person (himself, herself, itself, themselves) has a special form, used only in these senses, and declined alike in the singular and plural.

SINGULAR AND PLURAL
    Gen.     suī              Acc.     sē
    Dat.     sibi                Abl.     sē

EXAMPLES
  Puer sē videt, the boy sees himself
  Puella sē videt, the girl sees herself
  Animal sē videt, the animal sees itself
  Iī sē vident, they see themselves

a. The form sē is sometimes doubled, sēsē, for emphasis.

3. Give the Latin for

I teach myself          We teach ourselves
You teach yourself      You teach yourselves
He teaches himself      They teach themselves

§282. The preposition cum, when used with the ablative of ego, tū, or suī, is appended to the form, as, mēcum, with me; tēcum, with you; nōbīscum, with us; etc.

Latin into English (D'Ooge XLIX)

9
My mother is dear to me, and your mother is dear to you.
10
Your letter was pleasing to us, and our letter was pleasing to you.
11
The messenger of the king who is with us will answer nothing.
12
The messengers demanded peace and friendship for themselves and their allies.
13
If you take up arms, I shall seize the kingdom.
14
Which of you (two) is a Roman citizen? Neither of us.
15
At that time many suffered punishment because they had sought the kingship.
16
Inflict punishment, Caesar, on the fierce enemies of the fatherland.
17
At dawn some, moved by fear, committed themselves to flight; others, however, with great courage withstood the attack of our army.
18
The king's sister, when she heard of the unsuccessful battle, killed herself at Pompeii.

amīcitiamque: friendship, from amicitia

Daedalus and Icarus, concluded (D'Ooge XLIX)

19
The boy Icarus was standing by and was watching his father's wonderful work.
20
After the finishing touch had been put upon the wings, Daedalus tried them and, like a bird, flew up into the air.
21
Then he bound the wings to his son's shoulders and taught him to fly and said, "I forbid you, my son, to approach either the sun or the sea.
22
If you approach the waves, the water will harm your wings, and if you approach the sun, the fire will burn them."
23
Then father and son begin the difficult journey.
24
They move their wings and entrust themselves to the air.
25
But the foolish boy does not obey his father's words.
26
He approaches the sun.
27
The wings are burned, and Icarus falls into the sea and loses his life.
28
Daedalus, however, without any danger flew across the waves to the island of Sicily.

ultima: far
adpropinquāveris: approach

English into Latin (D'Ooge XLIX)

29
Whom do you teach? I teach myself.
30
The soldier wounded himself with his sword.
31
The master praises us, but you he does not praise.
32
Therefore he will inflict punishment on you, but we shall not suffer punishment.
33
Who will march (i.e. make a march) with me to Rome?
34
I will march with you to the gates of the city.
35
Who will show us[1] the way? The gods will show you[1] the way.

The Intensive Pronoun Ipse and the Demonstrative Īdem (D'Ooge L)

Two kinds of himself

Homō sē videt means "the man sees himself."

Homō ipse perīculum videt means "the man himself sees the danger."

Latin separates reflexive sē from intensive ipse.

The ending changes the emphasis

In Homō ipse perīculum videt, ipse agrees with homō and emphasizes the man.

Homō ipsum perīculum videt means "the man sees the danger itself."

Ipsum agrees with perīculum and emphasizes the danger.

The intensive changes form to agree like an adjective with the noun or pronoun it emphasizes.

36
the man sees himself (reflexive)
37
the man himself (intensive) sees the danger
38
the man sees the danger itself (intensive)

D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (1911), Lesson L, §§285-287

§285. Ipse means -self (him-self, her-self, etc.) or is translated by even or very. It is used to emphasize a noun or pronoun, expressed or understood, with which it agrees like an adjective.

a. Ipse must be carefully distinguished from the reflexive suī. The latter is always used as a pronoun, while ipse is regularly adjective. Compare

Homō sē videt, the man sees himself (reflexive)
Homō ipse perīculum videt,
  the man himself (intensive) sees the danger
Homō ipsum perīculum videt,
  the man sees the danger itself (intensive)

§286. Except for the one form ipse, the intensive pronoun is declined exactly like the nine irregular adjectives (cf. §§108, 109). Learn the declension (§481).

§287. The demonstrative īdem, meaning the same, is a compound of is. It is declined as follows:

        SINGULAR
        MASC.       FEM.        NEUT.
Nom.    īdem        e´adem      idem
Gen.    eius´dem    eius´dem    eius´dem
Dat.    eī´dem      eī´dem      eī´dem
Acc.    eun´dem     ean´dem     idem
Abl.    eō´dem      eā´dem      eō´dem

        PLURAL
Nom.    iī´dem      eae´dem     e´adem
          eī´dem
Gen.    eōrun´dem   eārun´dem   eōrun´dem
Dat.    iīs´dem     iīs´dem     iīs´dem
          eīs´dem     eīs´dem     eīs´dem
Acc.    eōs´dem     eās´dem     e´adem
Abl.    iīs´dem     iīs´dem     iīs´dem
          eīs´dem     eīs´dem     eīs´dem

a. From forms like eundem (eum + -dem), eōrundem (eōrum
+ -dem), we learn the rule that m before d is changed to n.

b. The forms iīdem, iīsdem are often spelled and pronounced with one ī.

Latin into English (D'Ooge L)

39
You and I live in the same city.
40
We do not fear the journey itself, but the savage wild beasts which are said to be in the dense forest.
41
Once we ourselves made the same journey.
42
At that time we saw many wild beasts.
43
But they did not harm us.
44
Caesar himself snatched a shield from the hands of a soldier and hastened into the very battle line.
45
And so the soldiers with the greatest courage hurled their weapons into the bodies of the enemy.
46
The Romans too received severe wounds.
47
At last the enemy turned their backs and fled in all directions.
48
At the same hour a letter was sent to Rome by the commander himself.
49
In the same month the captives too were sent to Italy.
50
But many, on account of their wounds, refused to make the difficult journey across the mountains and were said to be at Geneva.

How Horatius Held the Bridge (D'Ooge L)

51
Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh and last king of the Romans, when he had been cast into exile by the angry Romans, sought aid from Porsena, king of the Etruscans.
52
Soon Porsena came to Rome with great forces, and the city itself was in the greatest danger.
53
In all quarters the Roman army had been defeated.
54
Already the king had seized the Janiculum hill.
55
Never before were the Romans held by so great a fear.
56
They hastened from the fields into the city and with the greatest zeal fortified the city itself.

Tarquinius: Tarquin
septimus: seventh
ultimus: farthest
exsilium: banishment, exile

English into Latin (D'Ooge L)

57
At Pompeii there is a wonderful mountain.
58
When I was in that place, I myself saw that mountain.
59
On the same day many cities were destroyed by fire and stones from that very mountain.
60
You have not heard the true story of that calamity, have you?[3]
61
On that day the very sun could not give light to men.
62
You yourself ought to tell (to) us that story.

The Demonstrative Pronouns Hic, Iste, Ille (D'Ooge LI)

Three positions in dialogue

Estne hic equus validus means Is this horse of mine strong. Hic places the horse near the speaker.

Iste equus est validus, sed ille est īnfīrmus means That horse of yours is strong, but that one yonder is weak.

Iste places one horse near the person addressed. Ille places the other remote from both people.

The three columns set out the contrast among hic, iste, and ille.

From the book

The contrast remains in the plural

Suntne hī amīcī tuī means Are these men by me your friends.

Istī sunt amīcī meī, sed illī sunt inimīcī means Those men by you are my friends, but those men yonder are enemies.

Hī, istī, and illī agree with plural masculine nouns while preserving the three positions.

63
Is this horse (of mine) strong?
64
That horse (of yours) is strong, but that one (yonder) is weak
65
Are these (men by me) your friends?
66
Those (men by you) are my friends, but those (men yonder) are enemies

D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (1911), Lesson LI, §§290-293

§290. We have already learned the declension of the demonstrative pronoun is and its use. (Cf. Lesson XVII.) That pronoun refers to persons or things either far or near, and makes no definite reference to place or time. If we wish to point out an object definitely in place or time, we must use hic, iste, or ille. These demonstratives, like is, are used both as pronouns and as adjectives, and their relation to the speaker may be represented graphically thus:

           hic            iste          ille
SPEAKER ------------->-------------->--------------->
        this, he;  that, he;  that, he
          (near);       (remote);     (more remote)

a. In dialogue hic refers to a person or thing near the speaker; iste, to a person or thing near the person addressed; ille, to a person or thing remote from both. These distinctions are illustrated in the model sentences, §293, which should be carefully studied and imitated.

§291. Hic is declined as follows:

         SINGULAR
         MASC.   FEM.    NEUT.
Nom.     hic     haec    hoc
Gen.     huius   huius   huius
Dat.     huic    huic    huic
Acc.     hunc    hanc    hoc
Abl.     hōc     hāc     hōc

         PLURAL
Nom.     hī      hae     haec
Gen.     hōrum   hārum   hōrum
Dat.     hīs     hīs     hīs
Acc.     hōs     hās     haec
Abl.     hīs     hīs     hīs

a. Huius is pronounced ho͝o´yo͝os, and huic is pronounced ho͝oic (one syllable).

§292. The demonstrative pronouns iste, ista, istud, and ille, illa, illud, except for the nominative and accusative singular neuter forms istud and illud, are declined exactly like ipse, ipsa, ipsum. (See §481.)

§293. MODEL SENTENCES

Is this horse (of mine) strong?
  Estne hic equus validus?

That horse (of yours) is strong, but that one (yonder) is weak Iste equus est validus, sed ille est īnfīrmus

Are these (men by me) your friends?
  Suntne hī amīcī tuī?

Those (men by you) are my friends,
    but those (men yonder) are enemies
  Istī sunt amīcī meī, sed illī sunt inimīcī

Latin into English (D'Ooge LI)

67
That brave leader of the Germans called his men together and in this way strengthened their spirits.
68
"You who live in this territory I have called together to this place, because with me you ought to free those fields and those homes of yours from the wrongs of the Romans.
69
This will not be difficult for us, because those enemies fear these dense forests, the savage wild beasts whose tracks they see, and the high mountains.
70
If we are brave, the gods themselves will show us the way of safety.
71
That sun, those eyes of yours have seen our disasters.
72
And so the name of that Roman republic is hateful not only to us but also to all men who love liberty.
73
I call you to arms.
74
Exercise that old-time courage of yours and you will conquer."

lībertātem: liberty, from libertas

How Horatius Held the Bridge, continued (D'Ooge LI)

75
One part of the city seemed to be sufficiently protected by walls, the other by the river.
76
But there was a bridge on the river which almost gave the enemy a way in.
77
Then Horatius Cocles, a brave man, said with a loud voice, "Cut down the bridge, Romans!
78
In a short time Porsena will lead his forces across into the city."
79
Already the enemy were on the bridge, but Horatius with two companions hastened to the farther end of the bridge, and these alone withstood the battle line of the enemy.
80
Then indeed the Roman citizens begin to cut down the bridge from behind, and the enemy try in vain to overcome Horatius.

Rescindite: cut out
trādūcet: bring across, move
cf: compare, from cf.
rescindere: cut off, cut down, from rescindo

English into Latin (D'Ooge LI)

81
Does that bird (of yours)[2] sing?
82
This bird (of mine)[2] sings both[3] in summer and in winter and has a beautiful voice.
83
Those birds (yonder)[2] in the country don´t sing in winter.
84
Snatch a spear from the hands of that soldier (near you)[2] and come home with me.
85
With those very eyes (of yours)[2] you will see the tracks of the hateful enemy who burned my dwelling and made an attack on my brother.
86
For (propter) these deeds (rēs) we ought to inflict punishment on him without delay.
87
The enemies of the republic do not always suffer punishment.

The Indefinite Pronouns (D'Ooge LII)

Quis without a question

sī quis means "if any one." Here quis is indefinite because it refers to a person without identifying one.

The same quis can be interrogative or indefinite. Its use in the clause determines its meaning.

After sī

sī quid means "if anything."

Indefinite quis does not begin a clause. It appears especially after sī, nisi, nē, and num.

The two lines show the contrast after sī: quis refers to an unspecified person, while quid refers to an unspecified thing.

88
if any one
89
if anything

D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (1911), Lesson LII, §§296-297

§296. The indefinite pronouns are used to refer to some person or some thing, without indicating which particular one is meant. The pronouns quis and quī, which we have learned in their interrogative and relative uses, may also be indefinite; and nearly all the other indefinite pronouns are compounds of quis or quī and declined almost like them. Review the declension of these words, §§221, 227.

§297. Learn the declension and meaning of the following indefinites:

MASC.      FEM.             NEUT.
     quis                   quid, some one, any one (substantive)
quī        qua or quae    quod, some, any (adjective), §483
     aliquis                aliquid, some one, any one
                              (substantive), §487
aliquī     aliqua           aliquod, some, any (adjective), §487
quīdam     quaedam          quoddam, quiddam, a certain,
                               a certain one, §485
     quisquam               quicquam or quidquam (no plural),
                              any one (at all) (substantive), §486
     quisque                quidque, each one, every one
                              (substantive), §484
quisque    quaeque          quodque, each, every (adjective), §484

NOTE. The meanings of the neuters, something, etc., are easily inferred from the masculine and feminine.

a. In the masculine and neuter singular of the indefinites, quis-forms and quid-forms are mostly used as substantives, quī-forms and quod-forms as adjectives.

b. The indefinites quis and quī never stand first in a clause, and are rare excepting after sī, nisi, nē, num (as, sī quis, if any one; sī quid, if anything; nisi quis, unless some one). Generally aliquis and aliquī are used instead.

c. The forms qua and aliqua are both feminine nominative singular and neuter nominative plural of the indefinite adjectives quī and aliquī respectively. How do these differ from the corresponding forms of the relative quī?

d. Observe that quīdam (quī + -dam) is declined like quī, except that in the accusative singular and genitive plural m of quī becomes n (cf. §287.a): quendam, quandam, quōrundam, quārundam; also that the neuter has quiddam (substantive) and quoddam (adjective) in the nominative and accusative singular. Quīdam is the least indefinite of the indefinite pronouns, and implies that you could name the person or thing referred to if you cared to do so.

e. Quisquam and quisque (substantive) are declined like quis.

f. Quisquam, any one (quicquam or quidquam, anything), is always used substantively and chiefly in negative sentences. The corresponding adjective any is ūllus, -a, -um (§108).

Latin into English (D'Ooge LII)

90
Someone fell from the bridge into the river but was saved without any danger.
91
There is indeed some good fortune in the life of every man.
92
Not even any one of the soldiers remained in the camp.
93
If you see anyone at my house, order him to depart.
94
If anyone holds the bridge, not even so great an army can take the city.
95
The city had not been sufficiently fortified, and at midday a certain king had almost led his forces across the bridge.
96
At last a certain armed soldier leaped down into the waves and, unharmed, turned his eyes to the other bank.
97
Everyone ought to give something to that brave soldier.
98
So great courage has indeed always pleased the Romans.
99
Once Corinth was a fairly large city and almost equal to Rome itself; now, however, the walls have fallen down and few traces of that city can be found.
100
Everyone loves liberty, and to some indeed the name of king is hateful.

trādūxerat: lead across, from traduco
incolumis: unharmed

How Horatius Held the Bridge, concluded (D'Ooge LII)

101
Soon, when a small part of the bridge remained, Horatius ordered his companions to depart, and alone with wonderful firmness he withstood the attack of that whole army.
102
At last with a great crash the bridge fell into the river.
103
Then indeed Horatius turned his back and, armed, leaped down into the waters.
104
At him the enemy threw many weapons; unharmed, however, he swam through the waves to the other bank.
105
To him, for such great deeds, the Roman people not only gave other great rewards but also set up a statue of Horatius in a public place.

trānāvit: swim across, from trano

English into Latin (D'Ooge LII)

106
If you see a certain Cornelius at Corinth, send him to me.
107
Almost all the soldiers who fell down into the waves were unharmed.
108
Not even at Pompeii did I see so great a fire.
109
I myself was eager to tell something to some one.
110
Each one was praising his own work.
111
Did you see some one in the country? I did not see any one.
112
Unless some one will remain on the bridge with Horatius, the commonwealth will be in the greatest danger.

Regular Comparison of Adjectives (D'Ooge LIII)

More without a new ending

Magis idōneus means "more suitable." Magis marks the comparative while idōneus remains unchanged.

Most without a new ending

Maximē idōneus means "most suitable." Maximē marks the superlative while idōneus remains unchanged.

Latin sometimes uses magis and maximē instead of changing the adjective with suffixes.

113
more suitable
114
most suitable

D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (1911), Lesson LIII, §§300-305

§300. The quality denoted by an adjective may exist in either a higher or a lower degree, and this is expressed by a form of inflection called comparison. The mere presence of the quality is expressed by the positive degree, its presence in a higher or lower degree by the comparative, and in the highest or lowest of all by the superlative. In English the usual way of comparing an adjective is by using the suffix -er for the comparative and -est for the superlative; as, positive high, comparative higher, superlative highest. Less frequently we use the adverbs more and most; as, positive beautiful, comparative more beautiful, superlative most beautiful.

In Latin, as in English, adjectives are compared by adding suffixes or by using adverbs.

§301. Adjectives are compared by using suffixes as follows:

POSITIVE          COMPARATIVE          SUPERLATIVE
clārus, -a, -um   clārior, clārius     clārissimus, -a, -um
  (bright)        (brighter)         (brightest)
  (BASE clār-)
brevis, breve     brevior, brevius     brevissimus, -a, -um
  (short)         (shorter)          (shortest)
  (BASE brev-)
vēlōx             vēlōcior, vēlōcius   vēlōcissimus, -a, -um
  (swift)         (swifter)          (swiftest)
  (BASE veloc-)

a. The comparative is formed from the base of the positive by adding -ior masc. and fem., and -ius neut.; the superlative by adding -issimus, -issima, -issimum.

§302. Less frequently adjectives are compared by using the adverbs magis, more; maximē, most; as, idōneus, suitable; magis idōneus, more suitable; maximē idōneus, most suitable.

§303. Declension of the Comparative. Adjectives of the comparative degree are declined as follows:

        SINGULAR                     PLURAL
        MASC. AND FEM.  NEUT.        MASC. AND FEM.  NEUT.
Nom.    clārior         clārius      clāriōrēs       clāriōra
Gen.    clāriōris       clāriōris    clāriōrum       clāriōrum
Dat.    clāriōrī        clāriōrī     clāriōribus     clāriōribus
Acc.    clāriōrem       clārius      clāriōrēs       clāriōra
Abl.    clāriōre        clāriōre     clāriōribus     clāriōribus

a. Observe that the endings are those of the consonant stems of the third declension.

b. Compare longus, long; fortis, brave; recēns (base, recent-), recent; and decline the comparative of each.

§304. Adjectives in -er form the comparative regularly, but the superlative is formed by adding -rimus, -a, -um to the nominative masculine of the positive; as,

POSITIVE                    COMPARATIVE           SUPERLATIVE
ācer, ācris, ācre           ācrior, ācrius        ācerrimus, -a, -um
  (BASE acr-)
pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum  pulchrior, pulchrius  pulcherrimus,
  (BASE pulchr-)                                    -a, -um
līber, lībera, līberum      līberior, līberius    līberrimus, -a, -um
  (BASE līber-)

a. In a similar manner compare miser, aeger, crēber.

§305. The comparative is often translated by quite, too, or somewhat, and the superlative by very; as, altior, quite (too, somewhat) high; altissimus, very high.

Latin into English (D'Ooge LIII)

115
What were the scouts seeking? The scouts were seeking the most favorable time for the march.
116
In the middle of the forest we made fires as thick as possible, because we had never before seen wild beasts so bold.
117
In ancient times the Germans were braver than the Gauls.
118
Caesar was more famous than the enemies who killed him.
119
Each one carried a huge shield and a rather long spear.
120
Among the barbarians the Germans were the boldest and the bravest.
121
The mind of men is swifter than the body.
122
The men of some lands are most wretched.
123
The bodies of the Germans were larger than those of the Romans.
124
The most eager chiefs of the Gauls without any delay led their swiftest horses across a certain river.
125
In summer the days are longer than in winter.
126
A certain commander asked the scouts about the recent arrival of the warships.

explōrātōrēs: scout, spy, from explorator
opportūnissimum: opportune, from opportunus
ingentiōra: not natural, immoderate
recentī: recent, from recens

English into Latin (D'Ooge LIII)

127
Of all birds the eagle is the swiftest.
128
Certain animals are swifter than the swiftest horse.
129
The Roman name was most hateful to the enemies of the commonwealth.
130
The Romans always inflicted the severest[2] punishment on faithless allies.
131
I was quite ill, and so I hastened from the city to the country.
132
Marcus had some friends dearer than Cæsar.[3]
133
Did you not seek a more recent report concerning the battle?
134
Not even after a victory so opportune did he seek the general’s friendship.

aquila: eagle

Irregular Comparison of Adjectives: The Ablative with Comparatives Without Quam (D'Ooge LIV)

The comparison without quam

Nihil est clārius quam sōl means "Nothing is brighter than the sun."

Latin often omits quam, especially in negative sentences: Nihil est clārius sōle.

The second line literally means "Nothing is brighter away from the sun."

The ablative replaces quam

When quam is omitted, a comparative is followed by the ablative.

In Nihil est clārius sōle, clārius is comparative and sōle is ablative.

135
Nothing is brighter than the sun
136
Nothing is brighter away from the sun

D'Ooge, Latin for Beginners (1911), Lesson LIV, §§307-309

§307. The following six adjectives in -lis form the comparative regularly; but the superlative is formed by adding -limus to the base of the positive. Learn the meanings and comparison.

POSITIVE                   COMPARATIVE         SUPERLATIVE
facilis, -e, easy          facilior, -ius      facillimus, -a, -um
difficilis, -e, hard       difficilior, -ius   difficillimus, -a, -um
similis, -e, like          similior, -ius      simillimus, -a, -um
dissimilis, -e, unlike     dissimilior, -ius   dissimillimus, -a, -um
gracilis, -e, slender      gracilior, -ius     gracillimus, -a, -um
humilis, -e, low           humilior, -ius      humillimus, -a, -um

§308. From the knowledge gained in the preceding lesson we should translate the sentence Nothing is brighter than the sun

Nihil est clārius quam sōl

But the Romans, especially in negative sentences, often expressed the comparison in this way,

Nihil est clārius sōle

which, literally translated, is Nothing is brighter away from the sun; that is, starting from the sun as a standard, nothing is brighter. This relation is expressed by the separative ablative sōle. Hence the rule

§309. RULE. Ablative with Comparatives. The comparative degree, if quam is omitted, is followed by the separative ablative.

Latin into English (D'Ooge LIV)

137
No one has seen soldiers more eager than the Romans.
138
At once the commander ordered the swiftest possible messengers to carry a letter to Rome.
139
Many rivers are gentler than the Rhine.
140
Among the Romans who was more famous than Caesar?
141
I have seen nothing more beautiful than the city of Rome.
142
Suddenly a most bold multitude with a great shout joined a fiercer battle.
143
Your horse is not slow, is it? Not slow indeed, but swifter than an eagle.
144
When I was at Rome, no one was more friendly to me than Sextus.
145
Certain women wished to give food to the soldiers.
146
The king forbade the citizens to depart from the city by night.
147
That boy is slenderer than this woman.
148
The scout pointed out two roads, the one easy, the other more difficult.

alacriōrēs: eager, spirited, from alacer
celerrimōs: swift, quick
tardus: slow
gracilior: slender, from gracilis

English into Latin (D'Ooge LIV)

149
What city have you seen more beautiful than Rome?
150
The Gauls were not more eager than the Germans.
151
The eagle is not slower than the horse.
152
The spirited woman did not fear to make the journey by night.
153
The mind of the multitude was quite gentle and friendly.
154
But the king’s mind was very different.
155
The king was not like (similar to) his noble father.
156
These hills are lower than the huge mountains of our territory.