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Grammar Lesson 50:

The absolute superlative of the adjectives ending in "-co, -go", "-io", and "-ico, -fico, -volo"

In the absolute superlative form:

The adjectives ending in -co, -go preserve the guttural sound of the letter c / g only when it is present in the masculine plural form. For example:

- amico / friendly—> masc. plur. amici —> absolute superlative amicissimo

- poco / little—> masc. plur. pochi —> absolute superlative pochissimo

The adjectives ending in -io preserve the i only when stressed

For example:

- pio / pious —> pronounced as: pìo—> absolute superlative piissimo

- leggendario / legendary —> pronounced as: leggendàrio —> absolute superlative leggendarissimo

Some adjectives ending in -ico, -fico, -volo adopt the suffix -entissimo (in all its forms)

For example:

- malèdico / slanderous —> abs. superlative maledicentissimo

- malefico / malefic —> absolute superlative maleficentissimo

- munifico / munificent —> absolute superlative munificentissimo

- benefico / beneficial —> absolute superlative beneficentissimo

- malevolo / malicious —> absolute superlative malevolentissimo

The adjective ampio has two absolute superlatives —> amplissimo (derived from the plural form ampli) and ampissimo (which is less used).

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