Gli aggettivi latini in -idus

Abstract

The overview of Latin adjectives in -idus proves that they generally refer to spontaneus events and show a pejorative nuance (e. g. albidus “whitish”, rubidus “reddish” putridus “rotten”, etc.). For these reasons they can be correlated to inchoative verbs which exactly express spontaneous changes of state rather than to stative verbs. This article claims that they are ancient verbal adjectives in -to of inchoative verbs in -sco. They developed into adjectives in -idus because of the presence of laryngeals in the position immediately preceding the suffix. Since inchoative verbs can not have a passive voice they never entered the verbal paradigm and became pure adjectives.