28.11.24: level 2; degrees of comparison [13]; some derivatives

Some Latin comparatives have ended up in English not only as adjectives but also as nouns, for example:

interior design; the interior of a house

Engl. interior < La. interior, interius (inner); not a comparative of an adjective (there is no positive degree) but of inter (between; among)

Engl. exterior < La. exterior, exterius (outer) < exter, -a, -um (on the outside)

Engl. superior < La. superior, superius (higher) < superus, -a, -um (above; upper)

Engl. inferior < La. īnferior, īnferius < īnferus, -a, -um (low)

Engl. major < La. māior, māius (bigger); irregular comparative of magnus, -a, -um (big)

Engl. minor < La. minor, minus (smaller); irregular comparative of parvus, -a, -um (small)

One of the images shows a nice English wordplay on “major” – Charles Ingram was a Major in the army, but then blatantly cheated on “Who wants to be a millionaire?”, hence the double meaning of “Major Fraud”. Incidentally he was convicted of major fraud – but, because of it, he wasn’t a Major any more!