Admin
The usage of “-isimo” and its variants in Romance languages originates from Classical Latin. This shows how linguistic elements can last through centuries of language evolution, even as the languages themselves diverge and develop unique characteristics.
The Latin suffix to indicate the superlative degree of adjectives “-issimus” was inherited by Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Catalan (no French in this case).
These are 10 examples of superlative forms for each language: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Catalan. (masculine, singular).
| English | Spanish | Italian | Portuguese | Catalan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Very good | buenísimo | buonissimo | boníssimo | boníssim |
| Very big | grandísimo | grandissimo | grandíssimo | grandíssim |
| Very small | pequeñísimo | piccolissimo | pequeníssimo | petitíssim |
| Very easy | facilísimo | facilissimo | facílimo | facilíssim |
| Very beautiful | bellísimo | bellissimo | belíssimo | bellíssim |
| Very fast | rapidísimo | rapidissimo | rapidíssimo | rapidíssim |
| Very strong | fortísimo | fortissimo | fortíssimo | fortíssim |
| Very difficult | dificilísimo | difficilissimo | dificílimo | dificilíssim |
| Very expensive | carísimo | carissimo | caríssimo | caríssim |
| Very rich | riquísimo | ricchissimo | riquíssimo | riquíssim |
Each of these examples shows how the superlative form is constructed in these four Romance languages using the “-ísimo/-issimo/-íssimo/-íssim” suffix. The words might have slight meaning differences between languages, in Italian, you would call a dear friend carissimo.
Since Spanish adjectives ending in “o” can take 4 forms:
- Masculine Singular:
- El libro es buenísimo. (The book is very good.)
- Feminine Singular:
- La película es buenísima. (The movie is very good.)
- Masculine Plural:
- Los libros son buenísimos. (The books are very good.)
- Feminine Plural:
- Las películas son buenísimas. (The movies are very good.)
Sure, you also have the option to say muy bueno, muy fácil, muy caro, muy rico instead. I would say buenísimo is used more in spoken form, for example, in TV commercials.
Evolution of the “-ísimo” Latin suffix
Latin Origin:
- In old Latin, they used the endings “-issimus” for masculine, “-issima” for femenine, and “-issimum” for things.
- For example: “altus” (high) becomes “altissimus” (highest).
- “Pulcher” (beautiful) becomes “pulcherrimus” (most beautiful).
Transition to Romance Languages:
- When Latin changed into languages like Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Catalan, they kept using this way to say “very” or “extremely.”
- In Spanish, it turned into “-ísimo.”
- In Italian, it became “-issimo.”
- In Portuguese, it changed to “-íssimo.”
- In Catalan, they use “-íssim.”
Again, what is this for?
- This ending is added to adjectives to make them stronger.
- Example: In Spanish, “bueno” (good) becomes “buenísimo” (very good).
- In Italian, “buono” becomes “buonissimo.”
It works for many adverbs too:
| Language | Adverb (Late) | Superlative (Very Late) |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish | tarde | tardísimo |
| Italian | tardi | tardissimo |
| Portuguese | tarde | tardíssimo |
| Catalan | tard | tardíssim |
I found an example in Italian, better than nothing.
Origen y Evolución del Sufijo “-ísimo”
Origen en Latín:
- En latín antiguo, usaban los finales “-issimus” para masculino, “-issima” para femenino y “-issimum” para neutro.
- Ejemplo: “altus” (alto) se convierte en “altissimus” (altísimo).
- “Pulcher” (hermoso) se convierte en “pulcherrimus” (hermosísimo).
Transición a las Lenguas Romances:
- Cuando el latín cambió a idiomas como español, italiano, portugués y catalán, siguieron usando esta forma de decir “muy” o “extremadamente”.
- En español, se convirtió en “-ísimo.”
- En italiano, se volvió “-issimo.”
- En portugués, cambió a “-íssimo.”
- En catalán, usan “-íssim.”
Uso:
- Este sufijo se añade a los adjetivos para hacerlos más fuertes.
- Ejemplo: En español, “bueno” se convierte en “buenísimo” (muy bueno).
- En italiano, “buono” se convierte en “buonissimo.”
Ejemplos con “buenísimo”:
- Masculino Singular:
- El libro es buenísimo.
- Femenino Singular:
- La película es buenísima.
- Masculino Plural:
- Los libros son buenísimos.
- Femenino Plural:
- Las películas son buenísimas.
Para más detalles, puedes visitar la página completa.
