| Adjectives |
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The Positive Degree, one of the three degrees in Latin adjectives (postive, comparative and superlative), is the form in which an adjective is listed in a vocabulary or dictionary, such as:
| iratus, -a, -um angry |
laetus, -a, -um happy |
stultus, -a, -um stupid |
| prudens, prudentis wise, sensible |
pinguis, pingue fat |
nobilis, nobile noble |
| facilis, facile easy |
pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum beautiful |
celer, celeris, celere swift |
| acer, acris, acre keen, sharp |
magnus, -a, -um large, great |
bonus, -a, -um good |
Some adjectives belong to the first and second declension families. Some belong to the third declension family. They never leave their declensional family while they are positive degree adjectives, no matter what the declension of the noun that they modify. You know that an adjective must always agree in gender, case and number with the noun it modifies. Sometimes it may agree in declension too, but it is not required to do so. Thus, you can see such combinations as:
| 1st/2nd declension adjective with 1st, 2nd, 3rd declension noun | 3rd declension adjective with 1st, 2nd, 3rd declension plural noun | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative singular | genitive singular | nominative singular | genitive singular |
| irata ancilla iratus vir iratus consul irata imperatrix |
iratae ancillae irati viri irati consulis iratae imperatricis |
celeres raedae celeres pueri celeria itinera |
celerium raedarum celerium puerorum celerium itinerum |
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