Introduction
There are three degrees of comparison for Latin adjectives:
Positive: describes the noun itself without comparing it to anything else; the dictionary form of the adjective
Example: acutus, a, um (acute)
Comparative: suggests a greater or lesser degree of the quality than the positive form by comparing one object to another
Formed by substituting the genitive singular ending with the suffixes -ior for masculine and feminine gender and -ius for neuter
Declined in the third consonant declension
Example: longior, ius (longer)
Superlative: defines the highest or lowest degree of quality, distinguishing a subject from all others
Formed by substituting the genitive singular ending with the suffix -issimus, -a, -um
Declined like first and second declension adjectives
Example: latissimus, a, um (widest)
Some adjectives only have a positive form:
Examples: vivus, a, um (alive) and terminological adjectives ending in -alis, e/-aris, e
Only qualifying adjectives can have comparative and superlative forms
Irregular Forms:
Latin has some adjectives with irregular forms for comparatives and superlatives, usually common ones
Examples:
forceps maior (big forceps) / forceps minor (small forceps)
foramen maius (big opening) / foramen minus (small opening)
Comparative Forms Derived from Prepositions:
Widely used in anatomical terminology, these comparative forms are translated as simple positive adjectives
They provide information about the organ's position (upper, lower, internal, external, etc.) and are placed last in the term (or second to last if an adjective for left/right is present)
Instead of interior, ius and exterior, ius, the adjectives internus, a, um and externus, a, um are used
Translational Peculiarities:
Couples of Comparative Forms:
When used to describe a single noun, they are translated using the positive form (e.g., big/small) and indicate a pair of similar structures
Example: foramen palatinum maius / foramen palatinum minus (big and small palatine openings)
Note: Only the positive form is used for a single structure (e.g., foramen occipitale magnum - big occipital opening)
Superlative Forms:
Translated using the positive form, but suggestive of multiple similar structures
Examples:
digitus minimus (small(est) finger)
musculus latissimus dorsi (wide(st) muscle of the back)
Gradus Elativus:
When the superlative form signifies an extremely high quality, it's called "Gradus Elativus" and is translated with "extremely" before the adjective
Examples:
venae cordis minimae (extremely small veins of the heart)
casus rarissimus (extremely rare case)
Set Phrases in Medicine:
dosis minima / dosis maxima (minimal/maximal dose)
prognosis optima / prognosis pessima (best/worst prognosis)