déterrimus, worst.
intimus, inmost.
primus, first.
proximus, neci
ultimus, farthest.
— ——b. Of the following the positive forms are rare, except when d
nouns (generally in the plura!) : —


— --exterus, outward ;


sterus, following ;
.—8üDerus, above;


exterior, outer ;
Inferus, below (see § 111. b) ; Inferior, lower ;


extrémus (extimus), outmost.
Infimus (Imus), lowest.
posterior, latter; postr&mus (postumus), last.
superior, higher; suprémus or summus, highest.
But the plurals, exteri, foreigners; inferi, the gods below ; posteri, posterity ;
euperi, the heavenly gods, are common.
Nots.— The superlative postumus has the special sense of /ast-born, and was a well-


known surname.
131. Several adjectives lack the Comparative or the Superla-


tive: —


a. The Comparative is rare or wanting in the follo


bellus,

caesius,

falsus,

fidus (with its compounds),


inclutus (or inclitus),


invictus,
invitus,
meritus,


wing:— E
| novus,
! pius,
Sacer,
vafer.
b. The Superlative is wanting in many adjectives in -ilis or -bilis (as,
agilis, probabilis), and in the following : —


actuosus exilis
agrestis ingéns
alacer iéiünus
arcánus longinquus
caecus obliquus
diüturnus opimus


proclivia


propinquus


satur
ségnis
sérus
supinus


surdus
taciturnus
tempestivus
teres
vicinus


— €. From iuvenis, youth, senex, old man (cf. § 122. d), are formed the com-


paratives iünior, younger, senior, older.
For these, however, minor nati and


máior nátü are sometimes used (nati being often omitted).
The superlative is regularly expressed by minimus and maximus, with


or without nati.
NorkE.— In these phrases nati is ablative of specification (see § 418).
d. Many adjectives (as aureus, golden) are from their meaning incapable


of comparison.
