Aim: How can we understand the relative pronoun in Latin?

Cornelia est puella Romana quae in Italia habitat. Look at these sentences. How is the boldfaced word translated in each? Why are the forms of this word different? Cornelia est puella Romana quae in Italia habitat. Aurelia et Cornelia spectabant servos qui in villa laborabant.

The relative pronoun qui,quae, quod (who, which) introduces a relative clause in Latin. It refers back to a previous noun in the sentence called the antecedent.

Here are the forms of the relative pronoun qui, quae, quod (who, which). Fill in the meanings for each case on your handout. How many of the endings look familiar, and why?

Pugnatis cum militibus qui timorem in pectoribus non habent. Now let’s explore the relationship of the pronoun to its antecedent. Look at these sentences and see if you can (1) bracket the relative clause (2) draw an arrow from the relative pronoun to the antecedent (3) explain the reason for the case, number, and gender of the relative pronoun. Pugnatis cum militibus qui timorem in pectoribus non habent. You are fighting with soldiers who do not have fear in (their) hearts. Lacrimae fluebant ex oculis hominis cui fabula narrabatur. The tears were flowing from the eyes of a person to whom the story was being told. Ancilla quam Aurelia vocaverat ad cubiculum festinabat. The slavewoman whom Aurelia had called hurried to the bedroom.

Vir qui per viam currebat ad terram cecidit. The man who was running along the road fell to the ground. Puella cui Marcus librum dedit erat Cornelia. The girl to whom Marcus gave the book was Cornelia. Servus cuius dominus erat iratus statim aufugit. The slave whose master was angry immediately fled. Duo servi quos Cornelia conspexit per viam ambulabant. Two slaves whom Cornelia caught sight of were walking along the road.