_pauper_ ＞ paubre-s _paupĕra_ ＞ paubra _paupĕrum_ ＞ paubre _paupĕram_ ＞ paubra _paupĕi_ ＞ paubre _paupĕræas_ ＞ paubras _paupĕros_ ＞ paubres _paupĕras_ ＞ paubras
MASCULINE FEMININE _gentīlis_ ＞ gentils _gentīlis_ ＞ gentils _gentīlem_ ＞ gentil _gentīlem_ ＞ gentil _gentīles_ ＞ gentil _gentīles_ ＞ gentils _gentīles_ ＞ gentils _gentīles_ ＞ gentils
1. Some adjectives of the second class were attracted into the first either in Vulgar Latin or in Provençal; this happened to all adjectives in _-és_, _-able_, _-ible_, and also to _comun_, _dous_, _fol_, _freble_, _graile_, _len_, _mol_, _noble_, _paubre_ (early), _rude_, _trist_: _cortes_ _cortesa_, _durable_ _durabla_; _comuna_, _doussa_, etc. Some kept both inflections: _dolens_, _dolens_ or _dolenta_; _grans_, _grans_ or _granda_, etc.
104. In impersonal constructions we frequently find a nominative singular without -s, which is apparently a survival of the Latin neuter: _m’es bel_ (_greu_, _parven_, _semblan_, etc.) _que_.… But the form with -s sometimes occurs in the same constructions: _m’es greus que_.…
105. Most adverbs of manner were formed by adding -men (-ment, -mens, or -menz) to the feminine singular of the adjective: belamen. These adverbs were originally ablative phrases: _serēna mĕnte_, etc. In Provençal the specific meaning of the -men was forgotten, but the two parts might still be separated by an intervening word: ẹpsa… ment. When two adverbs in -men were used together, the ending was generally affixed to only one, oftener the first. Bona and mala could be used as adverbs without the suffix.
1. For the adverbial ending -s, see § 82, S, 3.
106. Adjectives and adverbs regularly formed their comparative by prefixing plüs to the positive, and their superlative by prefixing the definite article to the comparative: cara, plüs cara, la plüs cara. This method of comparison goes back to Vulgar Latin times.
1. ‘Than’ is expressed by _que_ and _de_.
107. Some adjectives preserved their old comparative in _-ior_. These comparatives had an inflection similar to that of sęnher: cf. § 101, (3) and § 101, (3), 1.
_altus_: aut ---- aussọr ✱_bellātus_ = _bĕllus_: ---- bellaire bellázer-s bellazọr _gĕnĭtus_: gen génser-s gensọr ✱_grĕvis_ = _gravis_: gręu gręuger ---- _grŏssus_: grǫs gruęysser ---- _laið_: lai láiger ---- _largus_: larc ---- largọr _lĕvis_: lęu lęuger ---- _lŏngus_: lonc ---- lonhọr (_grandis_): (gran) máier maiọr (_bŏnus_): (bon) męlher melhọr (_paucus_): (pauc) mẹnre-s menọr _nūgālis_: ---- ---- nüalhọr (_malus_): (mal) pęier peiọr (_mŭltus_): (mọlt) ---- plüsọr[88] _sŏrdĭdus_: sorde sordẹier sordeiọr