Adjectives expressing the action of the verb as a
quality
or
tendency
are formed from real or apparent verb-stems with the suffixes—
-āx, -idus, -ulus, -vus (-uus, -īvus, -tīvus)
-āx
denotes a
faulty
or
aggressive
tendency;
-tīvus
is oftener passive.
pūgn-āx
,
pugnacious;
|
pūgnāre
,
to fight.
|
aud-āx
,
bold;
|
audēre
,
to dare.
|
cup-idus
,
eager;
|
cupere
,
to desire.
|
bib-ulus
,
thirsty
(as dry earth etc.);
|
bibere
,
to drink.
|
proter-vus
,
violent
,
wanton;
|
prōterere
,
to trample.
|
noc-uus
(
noc-īvus
),
hurtful
,
injurious;
|
nocēre
,
to do harm.
|
recid-īvus
,
restored;
|
recidere
,
to fall back.
|
cap-tīvus
,
captive;
M.,
a prisoner of war;
|
capere
,
to take.
|
Of these,
-āx
is a reduction of
-ācus
(stem-vowel
ā-
+
-cus
), become independent and used with verb-stems. Similar forms in
-ĕx
,
-ōx
,
-īx
, and
-ūx
are found or employed in derivatives: as,
imbrex
, M.,
a rain-tile
(from
imber
);
senex
,
old
(from
seni-s
);
ferōx
,
fierce
(from
ferus
);
atrōx
,
savage
(from
āter
,
black
);
celōx
, F.,
a yacht
(cf.
cellō
);
fēlīx
,
happy
, originally
fertile
(cf.
fēlō
,
suck
);
fīdūcia
, F.,
confidence
(as from †
fīdūx
); cf. also
victrīx
(from
victor
). So
mandūcus
,
chewing
(from
mandō
).
-idus
is no doubt denominative, as in
herbidus
,
grassy
(from
herba
,
herb
);
tumidus
,
swollen
(cf.
tumu-lus
,
hill;
tumul-tus
,
uproar
);
callidus
,
tough
,
cunning
(cf.
callum
,
tough flesh
);
mūcidus
,
slimy
(cf.
mūcus
,
slime
);
tābidus
,
wasting
(cf.
tābēs
,
wasting disease
). But later it was used to form adjectives directly from verb-stems.
-ulus
is the same suffix as in diminutives, but attached to verb-stems. Cf.
aemulus
,
rivalling
(cf.
imitor
and
imāgō
);
sēdulus
,
sitting by, attentive
(cf.
domi-seda
,
homestaying
, and
sēdō
,
set
,
settle
, hence
calm
);
pendulus
,
hanging
(cf.
pondō
,
ablative
,
in weight;
perpendiculum
,
a plummet;
appendix
,
an addition
);
strāgulus
,
covering
(cf.
strāgēs
);
legulus
,
a picker
(cf.
sacri-legus
,
a picker up of things sacred
).
-vus
seems originally primary (cf. §
234
. 2.8), but
-īvus
and
-tīvus
have become secondary and are used with nouns: as,
aestīvus
,
of summer
(from
aestus
,
heat
);
tempestīvus
,
timely
(from
tempus
); cf.
domes-ticus
(from
domus
).
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