So also Participles, when used as Adjectives; as,—­

doctus, learned,          doctior,            doctissimus.
egens, needy,             egentior,           egentissimus.

3.  Adjectives in -er form the Superlative by appending -rimus to the Nominative of the Positive.  The Comparative is regular.  Thus:—­

asper, rough, asperior, asperrimus. pulcher, beautiful, pulchrior, pulcherrimus. acer, sharp, acrior, acerrimus. celer, swift, celerior, celerrimus.

  a.  Notice maturus, maturior, maturissimus or maturrimus.

4.  Five Adjectives in -ilis form the Superlative by adding -limus to the Stem of the Positive deprived of its final vowel.  The Comparative is regular.  Thus:—­

facilis, easy, facilior, facillimus. difficilis, diffcult, difficilior, difficillimus. similis, like, similior, simillimus. dissimilis, unlike, dissimilior, dissimillimus. humilis, low, humilior, humillimus.

5.  Adjectives in -dicus, -ficus, and -volus form the Comparative and Superlative as though from forms in -dicens, -ficens, -volens.  Thus:—­

maledicus, slanderous,    maledicentior,      maledicentissimus.
magnificus, magnificent,  magnificentior,     magnificentissimus.
benevolus, kindly,        benevolentior,      benevolentissimus.

  a.  Positives in -dicens and -volens occur in early Latin; as maledicens,
  benevolens.

6.  Dives has the Comparative divitior or ditior; Superlative divitissimus or ditissimus.

Irregular Comparison.

72.  Several Adjectives vary the Stem in Comparison; viz.—­

bonus, good, melior, optimus. malus, bad, pejor, pessimus. parvus, small, minor, minimus. magnus, large, major, maximus. multus, much, plus, plurimus, frugi, thrifty, frugalior, frugalissimus, nequam, worthless, nequior, nequissimus.

Defective Comparison.

73. 1.  Positive lacking entirely,—­

(Cf. prae, in front prior, former_, primus, first of_.) (Cf. citra, this side citerior, on this citimus, near. of_.) side_, (Cf. ultra, beyond.) ulterior, farther, ultimus, farthest.  (Cf. intra, within.) interior, inner, intimus, inmost (Cf. prope, near.) propior, nearer, proximus, nearest.  (Cf. de, down.) deterior, inferior, deterrimus, worst.  (Cf. archaic potis, potior, preferable, potissimus, chiefest possible.)

2.  Positive occurring only in special cases,—­