a. The Comparative is rare or wanting in the following: -
| bellus, | inclutus (or inclitus), | novus, | |
| caesius, | invictus, | pius, | |
| falsus, | invítus, | sacer, | |
| fídus (with its compounds), | meritus, | vafer. |
b. The Superlative is wanting in many adjectives in -ilis or -bilis (as, agilis, probábilis), and in the following: -
| áctuósus | exílis | próclívis | surdus | |
| agrestis | ingéns | propinquus | taciturnus | |
| alacer | iéiúnus | satur | tempestívus | |
| arcánus | longinquus | ségnis | teres | |
| caecus | oblíquus | sérus | vícínus | |
| diúturnus | opímus | supínus |
c. From iuvenis, youth, senex, old man (cf. § 122. d), are formed the comparatives iúnior, younger, senior, older. For these, however, minor nátú and maior nátú are sometimes used (nátú being often omitted).
The superlative is regularly expressed by minimus and maximus, with or without nátú.
NOTE: In these phrases nátú is ablative of specification (see § 418).
d. Many adjectives (as aureus, golden) are from their meaning incapable of comparison.
NOTE: But each language has its own usage in this respect. Thus, niger, glossy black, and candidus, shining white, are compared; but not áter or albus, meaning absolute dead black or white (except that Plautus once has átrior).