[347]. Other comparative suffixes are -ro- or -ero-, and -tro- or -tero-, used in a few words, principally designating place: as, sup-erī, the upper ones, īnferī, the nether ones; ex-terī, outsiders, posterī, after-generations; alter, the other; uter, whether? which of the two? (for *quo-ter, [146]); dexter, right.

[348]. Some words designating place have a doubled comparative suffix, -er-iōr-, or -ter-iōr-: as, sup-er-ior, upper, īnferior, lower. ci-ter-ior, hither, dēterior (lower), worse, exterior, outer, interior, inner, posterior, hinder, after, ulterior, further, dexterior, more to the right, -is-tro- is used in two words which have become substantives: min-is-ter (inferior), servant, and magister (superior), master.

THE SUPERLATIVE SUFFIX.

[349]. The common superlative suffix is -issimo-, nominative -issimus, with older -issumo-, nominative -issumus ([28]).

[350]. Stems which end in -ro-, -ri-, or -li- ([344], [345]) take the suffix -issimo- (cf. -simo-, [351]) with syncope of its initial i ([111]) and assimilation of the final l or r ([166, 8]).

[351]. The suffix -timo- is further used in a few root superlatives: ci-timus, dextimus, extimus, intimus, optimus, postumus, and ultimus; and -simo- in maximus, pessimus, and proximus.

[352]. The suffix -mo- or -imo- is used in sum-mo-, N. summus, highest (sub); min-imo-, N. minimus, least; prīmus, first, septimus, seventh, decimus, tenth. -mo- or -imo- is attached to -is- ([135, 2]) in plūrimus for *plō-is-imo-s (fullest), most ([99]); and to -rē- or -trē-, possibly an adverbial form ([705]), in suprēmus, extrēmus, and postrēmus.

PECULIARITIES OF COMPARISON.

[353]. Some positives have a comparative or superlative, or both, from a different form of the stem: such are,

frūgī, thrifty,frūgālior,frūgālissimus.
nēquam, naughty,nēquior,nēquissimus.
iuvenis, young,iūnior,(nātū minimus).
senex, old,senior,(nātū maximus).
magnus, great,maior,maximus ([351]).
beneficus, kindly,beneficentior,beneficentissimus.
honōrificus, complimentary,honōrificentior,honōrificentissimus.
magnificus, grand,magnificentior,magnificentissimus.