What is the relative pronoun?
The relative pronoun quī, quae, and quod, are used to introduce a subordinate clause and refers back to some noun or pronoun known as an antecedent. It is as common in Latinas its English counterpart, who/which/what. The relative clause, introduced by the relative pronoun, serves an adjectival function, elucidating some information about the antecedent. (e.g. the man who sold the world = the world seller).
What are the declensions of quī, quae, quod?
There so many diverse relative pronoun forms, we might as well remember them via memorization. Below is a table.
| Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
| Nominative | quī | quī | quae | quae | quod | quae |
| Genitive | cuius | quōrum | cuius | quārum | cuius | quōrum |
| Dative | cui | quibus | cui | quibus | cui | quibus |
| Accusative | quem | quōs | quam | quās | quod | quae |
| Ablative | quō | quibus | quā | quibus | quō | quibus |
How do we use the relative pronoun?
The relative pronoun refers to and is, essentially equivalent, to its antecedent. Therefore, when declining quī, quae, and quod, it should agree with antecedent in gender and plurality; however, uniquely, the case of the relative should match the its use in the relative clause. Return back to the declension page to remember the declensions.
What is the interrogative adjective?
The interrogative adjective asks for more information about a noun. The declensions of the interrogative pronoun are identical to that of the relative pronoun. The goal of the interrogative adjective, especially in comparison to the interrogative pronoun, is to gain information about something, the noun which it agrees with in declension. Below are some examples:
quae fēmina cōnsilium habet? — which woman has a plan? in quā urbe vīvimus? — in what kind of city are we living?