Image: statue depicting a Roman sarcophagus.

Relative Pronoun - Translation

This is an image which shows the stages of the deceased's life on a sarcophagus. The word which is a relative pronoun.

As mentioned, the relative pronoun can be translated into English as either who, which or that. The most common translations are as follows:

Masculine and feminine relative pronouns should usually be translated using who, whom or whose. The translation will be the same in English whether the pronoun is singular or plural in Latin.
- Nominative: who
- Genitive: whose, of whom
- Dative: to whom, for whom
- Accusative: whom
- Ablative: preposition + whom (usually: by, with or from)
Neuter relative pronouns should be translated using which or that. The translation will be the same in English whether the pronoun is singular or plural in Latin.
- Nominative: which, that
- Genitive: of which, of that
- Dative: to/for which, to/for that
- Accusative: which, that
- Ablative: preposition + which/that (usually: by, with or from)

Nota bene

The use of the word whom in English has been declining for years. It is also often misused as a subject when someone is trying to overcorrect their grammar. Feel free who in place of whom when translating if it feels more comfortable to do so, but avoid overusing whom. If you aren't sure, just use who!
Examples:
- Replacing whom with who:
  - Modern Usage: The man who I was talking to did not respond.
  - Traditional Formation: The man to whom I was talking did not respond.
    - Technically, the pronoun is the indirect object of talk.
    - Which do you prefer?
- Incorrect use of whom:
  - WRONG: The man whom is coming will bring his books.
  - Correct: The man who is coming will bring his books.
    - The pronoun is the subject of the clause, so must be who.

Gender Rules: Latin vs. English

Latin has a specific and well-developed system of gender, using masculine, feminine and neuter as categories for nouns. English, while following a very general gender system (women are referred to generally as she while men are he), does not follow those same specific categories. So, there will be times when a masculine or feminine noun in Latin refers to something we consider an object (non-living thing) in English.

Think about the word book. In English, we would refer to "book" with the pronoun it (I picked up a book and read it.). In Latin, book is the noun liber, libri, m. and so is a masculine noun, meaning we would use masculine pronouns (Librum cepi et eum legi.).

Because of this, a masculine or feminine relative pronoun in Latin may also be translated which or that depending on normal English usage:

- Example: Liber, quem cepi, erat bonus.
  - Translation: The book which I took was good.
  - quem = masculine, with liber as the antecedent
    - which or that is the appropriate translation because a book is considered an object in English.
  - One would never say, "The book, whom I took."