Rules for the Italian tongue.

Of Superlatives.

NOte that the Italians haue two ſorts of Superlatiues, which I diſtinguiſh thus, that one may admit a compariſon, and the other not. That which admitteth no compariſon, is euer framed by adding the Article that the poſitiue adiectiue requireth, vnto your already framed Comparatiue, as thus. Amáro, Più amáro, Méno amáro. Il più amáro. Il mén' amáro. Cára. Più cára. Mén cára. La più cára. La mén cára. Dótto. Più dótto. Mén dótto. Il più dótto. Il mén dótto. Gránde. Puì gránde. Mén gránde. La più gránde. La Mén gránde. The other Superlatiue that doth admit a compariſon, which the Engliſh expreſſe with the addition of Most, Right, Thrice, or Very, vnto their poſitiues, is framed among the Italians thus by adding Iſsimo or Iſsima, vnto any poſitiue, which muſt euer looſe his last vowell, as, Amariſsimo, Belliſsimo, Cariſsimo, Dottiſsimo, Grandiſsima, Illuſtriſsima, &c.


Note that the Italians haue alſo an other manner of ſpeech very ordinary among them to exepreſſ any compariſon, and that is with the helpe of Di, Del, Chè, and Chè nón. which must euer haue reference vnto Più, Méno, Meglio, or Peggio, as thus. Tu ſei più dotto di mè, ma io ſóno píu dabbéne ditè. Io ti ámo più del douére, Tu mi dái méno del merito. Chi áma Dio più che'l móndo ſarà felíce Lui cérca méno la vertù che tútti ivitij, &c. But note that all theſe comparatiue phraſes must haue but one verbe in them: For, if they haue two or more, you must then uſe Che non, and neuer elſe, and it must euer be placed before the ſecond verbe of the ſentence, as thus. Tù ſei più dótto, che non ſóno io, mà io fáccio meglio che non fái tù. Io ámo Dío meglio che non fái tù, e l'offendo méno che non fánno mólti. Lui fa peggio che non díce. Lui e più ricco che non ſiámo nói. And infinite others.


Note that the Italians ſpeaking or writing to any perſon, whom they will ſeeme to respect or honour, and whom they would ſeeme to acknowledge their ſuperior, they vſe not to ſpeake or write vnto him in the ſecond perſon ſingular. Tu, or Túa, as the Latines, nor in the ſecond perſon plurall Vói, or Vóſtra, as most nations doe, but in the third perſon ſingular, to one, as Lei or Súa, and in the third perſon plurall to many, as Lóro. And accordingly frame all the verbs to be vſed in the ſentence, as for example. Súa Signoría mi terra per iſcuſáto, ſe príma nón ſóno venúto a baſciárle le máni, e fárle riuerenza. Io mi reputerò felíce che éſſa mi tenga nélla ſúa buóna grátia, cóme ſúo mínimo ſeruitóre, per chè tále le ſarò ſempre. &c. Or elſe ſpeaking to many. Le lóro Signoríe mi terránno per iſcuſáto, ſe príma non ſóno venúto a baſciár lóro le máni, & fár loro riuerenza. Io mi reputerò felice che éſſe mi tengano nélla lóro buóna grátia, cóme lóro mínimo ſeruitóre, perche tále vóglio eſſer lóro. In steede of, Vóſtra Signoría mi terrà per iſcuſáto ſe príma non ſóno venúto a baſciárui le máni, e fárui riuerenza. Io mi reputerò felíce che voi mi teniáte nélla voſtra buóna grátia, cóme vóſtro mínimo ſeruitóre che vi ſóno, &c.





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