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COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES   41

  1. MULTIPLE NUMERAL ADJECTIVES AND NOUNS.

These are sencillo ; doble or duplicado ; triple, triplicado or triplice ; cuddruplo or cuadruplicado ; quintuplo or quintuplicado ; sêxtuplo ; sêptuplo ; decuplo ; centuplo or centuplicado ; and multiple. 197.

  1. COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES.

i. Comparison of superiority or inferiority.

(a) The comparative degree is usually formed by adding to the positive degree ma's, more, for superiority, and menos, less, for inferiority. The definite article is added to the comparative to form the superlative:

rico, mas (menos) rico, el mas (menos) rico

rica, mas (menos) rica, la mas (menos) rica

ricos, mas (menos) ricos, los Inds (menos) ricos

ricas, mas (menos) ricas, las mas (menos) ricas

rich, richer, richest

(rich, less rich, least rich). 198.

 

  1. The possessive adjective may take the place of the definite article in forming the superlative: mi do mas rico, my richest uncle. 199.

  2. The noun modified by the superlative is usually placed between the definite article (or possessive) and mas (or menos): el muchacho mas fuerte de la clase, the strong-

40 A SPANISH REFERENCE GRAMMAR

to use the cardinal, after the noun, in citing centuries, and chapters or pages of a book: el siglo XX (veinte), the loth century ; el capitulo veinte y cinco, chapter 25; la pagina treinta y seis, page 36; en el parrafo cuarenta, in paragraph 40. 193.

  1. Cardinals are used instead of ordinals in giving dates, except that the first day is usually indicated by the ordinal primero : el 4 (cuatro) de julio; a siete de octubre; el 1° (primero) de agosto, also, el uno de agosto. In asking the date one says: d A cuantos estamos? e; Que dia del mes tenemos? Cual es la fecha de hoy? Answers: Estamos a 15 de agosto. Tenemos el 2 de enero. Hoy es el 12 de abril. See 135. 194.

  2. To indicate the order of succession of sovereigns the ordinals are used up to and including decimo, tenth; above that cardinals are used: Carlos V (quinto), Charles the Fifth; Alfonso X (decimo), illphonso the Tenth; but Alfonso XIII (trece), Alphonso the Thirteenth. See Ito. 195.

  3. Primo, first, tercio, third, and nono, ninth, are the shorter forms found frequently in compounds: vigêsimo primo (or primero), 21st; vigèsimo nono (or noveno), 29th. Sexto is usually pronounced sesto, and sêptimo, setimo, in which manner this word is often spelled. 196.

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