Relative clauses

Relative clauses

What is a Relative Clause?

• A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that modifies a noun by providing more information about it.
• This clause is introduced by a relative pronoun such as qui, quae, quod (‘who’, ‘which’, ‘that’) in Latin.

Using Relative Pronouns

• The gender, number, and case of the relative pronoun should correspond to its antecedent, the noun or pronoun it refers back to.
• For example, in the sentence ‘Puellam quam video est pulchra.’ (‘The girl whom I see is beautiful.’), ‘quam’ refers back to ‘puellam’.
• Remember the relative pronoun can also refer ahead to something in its own clause.

Translating Relative Clauses

• Sometimes, translating a relative clause directly from Latin to English can result in an awkward sentence.
• For example, ‘Puer, quem video, pulcher est.’ is literally ‘The boy, whom I see, is beautiful.’
• But in spoken English, we would usually say ‘The boy I see is beautiful.’
• It’s crucial to understand the context and meaning rather than focusing purely on the word-for-word translation.

Relative Clauses in Indirect Statements

• Relative clauses can also occur within an indirect statement, which adds a layer of complexity.
• For example, ‘Dicit puerum qui in horto ludat pulchrum esse.’ ‘He says that the boy who is playing in the garden is beautiful.’
• In these cases, bear in mind the sequence of tenses rule, as well as the agreement of the relative pronoun with its antecedent.

Importance of Relative Clauses

• Flexibility of sentence structure is a feature of Latin, and relative clauses contribute significantly to this flexibility.
• Being familiar with identifying and translating relative clauses makes understanding complex Latin sentences easier.