Relative Clause of Characteristic

As we are already looking at relative clauses, let's investigate one additional, and uniquely Latin, use of the relative clause. Latin is the type of language that has some interesting constructions. The expression the type of ___ is handled in Latin with a relative clause, with the verb in the subjunctive mood. The relative clause of characteristic is used to define the antecedent as a particular type or as being "of such a character as". The antecedent is the noun that should be considered the "type of" when constructing your translation. The negative is often expressed with quin but can also use non.

Cicero erat vir qui multum scriberet.
- Cicero was the type of man who would write a lot.
Lege libros quos ames.
- Read the sort of books which you might like.
Marcus nautam timuit quin ad litorem veniret.
- Marcus feared the type of sailor that avoided coming to the shore.

Relative Clause of Characteristic Examples

Below are several examples taken from authentic sources, to demonstrate the relative clause of characteristic in Latin.

**Relative Clause of Characteristic Examples**
Source	Latin Example	Translation
Cicero - Letters to his Friends	neque enim tu is es qui nescias	for you are not the type of person who is unaware
Cicero - Tusculan Disputations	Sunt qui discessum animi a corpore putent esse mortem.	There are those who think that the departure of the soul from the body is the definition of death. (Here, we see the relative pronoun acting as both antecedent and pronoun, implying "those")
Cicero - de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum	Multa dicunt quae vix intellegam.	They say many things of the sort which I can barely understand.
Laelius - Orations	Quis est qui id non maximis efferat laudibus?	What sort of person is there who does not raise it up for the greatest praise?

Practice Activity

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