A few adjectives are indeclinable: as,
damnās
,
frūgī
(really a dative of service, see §
382
. 1. N. 2),
nēquam
(originally an adverb),
necesse
, and the pronominal forms
tot
,
quot
,
aliquot
,
totidem
.
Potis
is often used as an indeclinable adjective, but sometimes has
pote
in the neuter.
Several adjectives are defective: as,
exspēs
(only
nom
.),
exlēx
(
exlēgem
) (only
nom
. and acc. sing.),
pernox
(
pernocte
) (only
nom
. and abl. sing.); and
prīmōris
,
sēminecī
, etc., which lack the nominative singular.
Many adjectives, from their signification, can be used only in the masculine and feminine. These may be called
adjectives of common gender.
Such are
adulēscēns
,
youthful;
[†
dēses
],
-idis
,
slothful;inops
,
-opis
,
poor;sōspes
,
-itis
,
safe.
Similarly,
senex
,
old man
, and
iuvenis
,
young man
, are sometimes called
masculine adjectives.
For Adjectives used as Nouns, see §§
288
, 289; for Nouns used as Adjectives, see §
321
.
c
; for Adjectives used as Adverbs, see §
214
; for Adverbs used as Adjectives, see §
321
.
d.