THE ADJECTIVE (contd.).


Degrees of Comparison.

"As ... as" and "so ... as" are translated "tan ... como," "as much ...
as" and "so much ... as" are translated "tanto-a,-os-as ... como" or
"cuanto."

N.B.--Cuan may be used instead of como before an adjective as--

Tan razonable en precio cuan apreciado por la buena calidad: As
reasonable in price as it is appreciated for its good quality.

"The more ... the more" is translated "cuanto más ... tanto más"; also
"más ... más" (without the article).

"Than whom," "than which" is translated as follows--

Sedas floreadas italianas que no las hay mejores en el mercado: Italian
flowered silks, than which there are no better on the market.

Adjectives ending in io (not ío) drop the whole diphthong before
adding ísimo, as--

Amplio--Amplísimo (very ample).

EXCEPT Agrio--Agriísimo (very sour).

Those ending in z change of course the z into c, as--

Feliz--felicísimo[180] (very happy).

[Footnote 180: Z should not occur before e and i in modern Spanish.]

The irregular superlatives óptimo, pésimo, máximo, mínimo, ínfimo and
supremo are used very sparingly, but they are found both as
superlative absolute and superlative relative, as--

Esta es una cantidad ínfima: It is an infinitesimal amount.

El precio mínimo[181]: The minimum price.

[Footnote 181: Although improperly, we often find "más mínimo" (más
ínfimo, etc.).]

El supremo bien de la vida es hacer á otros felices: The highest
blessing of life is to make others happy.

The irregular comparatives mejor and peor are in general use.

Mayor and menor refer more generally to age (older, elder, and
younger).

"Inferior" and "superior" are generally used as their English
equivalents.

The expressions "a larger building," "a higher tree," etc., are
generally rendered "un edificio más grande," "un árbol más alto," etc.

Irregular superlatives--

Acre (sour) Acérrimo
Amigo (friendly) Amicísimo
Antiguo (ancient) Antiquísimo
Áspero (harsh) Aspérrimo
Benéfico (beneficent) Beneficentísimo
Benévolo (benevolent) Benevolentísimo
Célebre (celebrated) Celebérrimo
Fiel (faithful) Fidelísimo
Íntegro (upright) Integérrimo
Libre (free), Libérrimo
Magnífico (magnificent) Magnificentísimo
Mísero (miserable) Misérrimo
Munífico (munificent) Munificentísimo
Pobre (poor), Paupérrimo, and Pobrísimo (more used)
Sabio (wise) Sapientísimo
Sagrado (holy) Sacratísimo
Salubre (healthy) Salubérrimo
Simple (simple) Simplicísimo
--Ubérrimo (most fruitful)

Some of the best modern authors write "buenísimo," "nuevísimo," etc.,
regularly without substituting the diphthong by the pure vowel, as
"bonísimo," "novísimo," notwithstanding the shifting of the stress.[182]

[Footnote 182: See Note 47.]

Substantives used as adjectives admit of comparison, as--

Es tan caballero or más caballero que sus contrincantes: He is as (or
more) gentlemanly as (than) his neighbours (competitors).

"Than" followed by a number, unless the sentence be negative, is
translated by de.

"Than" followed by a finite verb is de lo que, as--

Cumple más de lo que promete: He accomplishes more than he promises.

But--

Hablar Español es más difícil que escribirlo: To speak Spanish is more
difficult than to write it.

The following expressions are translated--

Él le lleva seis años: He is older than you by six years.

Esta tela cuesta cinco peniques menos la yarda: This cloth is cheaper by
five pence a yard.

Esta casa es diez años más antigua: This firm is older by ten years.

Es tan poderoso que domina el mercado: He is so powerful as to control
the market.

Ver (to see).
Past Part., Visto.
Pres. Indic., Veo[183] ...

[Footnote 183: It forms the pres. subj., Vea, veas, etc.
Imperf. Indic., Veía, veías, veía, veíamos, veíais, veían.]


     VOCABULARY.

acaudalado rich, wealthy
*advertir to notice
alcalde mayor
alfombrada carpeting
añadir to add
apagarse to go out (fire)
atraicionar to betray
boticario chemist
caja fuerte safe
calorífero stove
carbón (de piedra) coal
carbón (vegetal) charcoal
carpeta writing-pad
casillero pigeon-holes
certificar  to  certify, to register (in the post)
chimenea chimney
contestar to answer
echar al correro to post
ensartar to string (beads), to file (papers)
escaño stool
estante book-shelf
franqueo postage
guardafuego fender
guardapapeles, ensartapapeles paper files
humear to smoke (chimney)
lacre sealing wax
legajo bundle (of papers)
librarse to get rid of
mano de papel secante quire of blotting-paper
pupitre writing desk
sello seal
el sobre the envelope
sujeta papeles paper fasteners


                           EXERCISE 1 (69).

Translate into English--

1. La casa de Rioja a y Cía. es tan respetable por su buena fama (name)
como por lo acaudalados que son sus propietarios.

2. Sí, es más estimada que cualquiera otra.

3. Dicen que tiene más de £150,000 de capital.

4. Es muy rica en efecto, pero no creo que su capital ascienda á más que
£100,000.

5. Cuanto más corriente en sus tratos es un negociante, tanto mejor le
resultan sus transacciones.

6. Estas son alfombradas de Bruselas que no las hay mejores en todo el
mundo.

7. Tenemos un campo (field) amplísimo para nuestras operaciones, las
cuales hasta aquí han tenido felicísimo resultado.

8. Nuestros géneros son todos de óptima calidad y á precios ínfimos.

9. Es de interés supremo para nosotros el dar los mejores productos á
precios mínimos.

10. La cantidad máxima no ha de exceder 500 kilógramos.

11. El hermano mayor es notario y alcalde del pueblo, el menor es
boticario.

12. La ciudad de Cádiz es antiquísima; fundóse en el siglo XV antes de
la era vulgar por los Fenicios.

13. El clima de Valparaíso es salubírrimo.

14. Fidelísimo criado, no quiso atraicionar á su amo que había sido
beneficentísimo para con él.

15. Euclides fué celebérrimo geómetra.


                            EXERCISE 2 (70).

Translate into Spanish--

1. I wish to straighten (poner en orden) the desk on (en) my table.

2. My pad is full of papers; I must get rid (librarme) of them.

3. Will you put all those answered letters in that shelf; You will find
the pigeon-holes alphabetically arranged, put each letter in the proper
bundle.

4. These others are filed away in that letter-file, alphabetically also.

5. Put the file in the safe; we always keep it under lock and key (bajo
llave).

6. Now give me a quire of blotting-paper, pens, nibs (puntitas),
paper-fasteners and the stamp-rack (porta-estampillas).

7. These envelopes go into the waste-paper basket (cestilla).

8. Fetch that stool, please; place it before that desk (banco).

9. See to the (hacer atención al) fire, it is going out, poke it
(removerlo) a little and add some coal.

10. This is the coal scuttle (caja del carbón), the shovel (la pala) and
the poker (atizador) are near the fender.

11. Hot-water pipes (tubos) are preferable to fires or stoves.

12. Yes, our chimney always smokes; it is a nuisance (¡que fastidio!
¡que barbaridad!).

13. Post these letters. Stamp them (póngales los sellos) and notice
there are some to be registered (para certificar).

14. Do not forget to put the stamp of the firm (casa).

15. If any weigh in excess (demasiado), it does not matter (no importa);
put the excess postage.

16. Seal that envelope; here are the seal and sealing-wax.