Thus, myself, ourselves; thyself, yourselves; himself, herself;

itself, themselves.

Note. Her is in either the possessive or objective, but for the sake of uniformity I have considered it as the objective.

EXERCISES.

Correct the errors in the following.

I hurt meself. Thou lovest theeself. You love youself. He killed hisself. They ruined theirselves. It injured itsself.

Remarks.-1. Self is supposed to have been originally an adjective. It was joined by the Anglo-Saxons to nouns and pronouns in every case. Thus, they said what would be equivalent to Iself, myself, meself; except that self had a particular termination for each case, as other adjectives had. The old English writers use it as an adjective; thus, Chaucer says, "The self day," that is, the same day; and Shakspeare, "One self king." It afterwards came to be used as a noun; as, "Oft whip her dainty self.”—Spenser.

2. It is from its having been used as an adjective, that it is joined to the objective case; and it is used as a noun when joined to the possessive.

3. It is from its being used as a noun, that, when an adjective comes between the pronoun and self, the possessive case of the noun is used; as, his own self.

4. For the same reason, when the plural form of the first and second persons is used for the singular, self remains in the singular; as, "John, you injure yourself."

“Madam, we will ourself take time to hear.”—Daniel.

"Ourself will swiftness to your nerves impart."-Pope.

5. These pronouns are seldom used in the nominative case, except when annexed to the simple pronouns.

RELATIVE PRONOUNS.

Who, which, what, and that are called relative pronouns, when they relate to some word or phrase called the antecedent; as, "The boy who studies will learn."

In this sentence who relates to boy, as its antecedent.

Other pronouns have antecedents; thus, "The boy studies,

What words are called relative pronouns?

* Antecedent means going before.

and he will learn." In this sentence he relates to the word boy, which is its antecedent.

Remark. The name connective pronoun would better express the nature of these words. The relative not only stands in the place of the noun, but closely connects the clause in which it stands to the antecedent. In this example, "The boy who studies will learn," the relative clause, who studies, is closely connected with the antecedent, boy, and modifies it like an adjective. Who studies is equivalent to studious.

"This is the man who came;"

Who is applied to persons; as, "She who is amiable will be loved."

Which is applied to the lower animals, and to inanimate things; as, "This is the ox which destroyed the corn;" "This

is the tree which bears the best fruit."

That is applied to any thing to which either who or which may be applied; as, "This is the man that came;" "She that is amiable will be loved;" "This is the ox that destroyed the corn;""This is the tree that bears the best fruit."

What is applied to things, and is used only when the antecedent is omitted; as, "He got what he wanted," that is, the thing which he wanted.

That is a relative when who, which, or whom may be substituted for it.

Thus, "He that studies will learn ;" "Every thing that has life is an animal;" "This is the man that I saw." Who may be substituted for that in the first example, which in the second, and whom in the third.

What and that are used only in the nominative and objective cases. They have no possessive.

Who and which are thus declined.

Singular. Plural.

Nom...Who,....who.
Poss...whosc,... whose.

Obj....whom,... whom.

Singular. Plural.
Nom... Which,..which,
Poss...whose,...whose.*
Obj....which,...which.

To what is who applied ?—which ?—that? | In what cases are what and that used? How is what used?

When is that a relative?

Decline the relative pronouns.

* Instead of the possessive case whose, the objective with the preposition of is very frequently used. Instead of "A religion whose origin is divine," we may say, “A religion the origin of which is divine;" though this form of expression is often very awkward.

EXERCISES.

1. In which of the following sentences is that a relative?

They

that are whole

sick.

Bless them that

He that acts wisely deserves praise. It is said that Solomon was a wise man. I know that man. need not a physician, but they that are curse you. This is the house that Jack built. caying. This is the tree that is decaying. tree is decaying.

That tree is de

He says that that

2. Name the relatives and antecedents in the following sentences.

A king who is just makes his people happy. This is the man whom we met. This is the man that we met. All are pleased with children that behave well. This is the tiger that broke from his cage. This is a beautiful dog that you have. The books which I gave him are for you. God, by whose kindness we live, whom we worship, who created all things, is eternal. Alexander, who conquered the world, was conquered by his passions. He that does not make happy, deserves not to be happy. This is the dog, that bit the cat, that caught the rat, that ate the malt, that lay in the house, that Jack built. He who steals my purse steals trash. The person who does no good does harm.

The antecedent is sometimes omitted; as, “Who steals my purse steals trash;" that is, he who, or person who.

the

EXERCISES.

Tell the antecedents to the following relatives.

Who does no good does harm. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth. Whom God wishes to destroy, he first makes mad. Whom he will he hardeneth. There are who put their trust in riches. Who worship God shall find him.

"This day have I begot, whom I declare

My only Son."

Is the antecedent always expressed?

"And who but wishes to invert the laws

Of order, sins against the Eternal Cause."

The relative what is never used except when the antecedent is omitted; which is used when it is expressed. Therefore, if we omit the antecedent we must use what instead of which, and if the antecedent is restored to its place, which must follow and not what.

Thus, “I saw what I wanted to see." Here the antecedent to what is thing understood; if we express the antecedent thing, which will take the place of what; as, "I saw the thing which I wanted to see."

Remark. Various opinions have been entertained about the nature of the relative what. It is said to be a compound relative pronoun, including both the antecedent and the relative, and equivalent to that which or the thing which. Though this may seem plausible, yet we shall find, on examination, that what is nothing more than a relative pronoun, and includes nothing else. Compare these two sentences:

"I saw whom I wanted to see;"

"I saw what I wanted to see.'
99

If what, in the latter, is equivalent to that which, or the thing which, whom, in the former, is equivalent to him whom, or the person whom; and who, in this sentence, "Who steals my purse steals trash," is equivalent to he who, or the man who.

And, on the same principle, when the relative is omitted, the antecedent should be represented as equivalent to the relative and the antecedent. Thus, "I saw the man I wanted to see." Here man should be represented as equivalent to man whom.

The cause of the error in respect to what is that the antecedent is never expressed with it. It is not like the word who, which is used both when the antecedent is expressed, and when it is omitted. The relative that, however, was formerly used in many cases where we use what, that is, with the antecedent omitted. A few examples of this will help us to ascertain the nature of what.

"We speak that we do know."-English Bible.

"I am that I am."-English Bible.

"Who had been scen imagine mote thereby

That whylome of Hercules hath been told."-Spenser.

What relative is never used except when | When the antecedent is expressed what the antecedent is omitted? relative is used instead of what?

I

"Eschewe that wicked is."-Gower.

"Is it possible he should know what he is, and be that he is?"-Shakspeare.

"Gather the sequel by that went before."-Shakspeare.

In these examples that is a relative; and is exactly synonymous with what. No one would contend that that stands for itself and its antecedent at the same time. The antecedent is omitted because it is indefinite, or easily supplied.

Some consider that, in such sentences as these, an adjective (demonstrative adjective pronoun,) and say that the relative is understood; but if we examine carefully, we shall see that this is not correct. In the first quotation from the English Bible, that is a translation of the Greek relative, and in the second it is a translation of the Hebrew relative.

It is no objection to this view that the antecedent cannot be expressed before what. The pronouns ours, yours, etc., cannot be employed when the noun is expressed. The relative that may be governed by a preposition coming after it; but if the preposition should come first, that must be changed into whom or which. It will not be contended that that is not governed by the preposition because it will not admit the preposition before it.

In the Anglo-Saxon language the neuter gender of hwa (who) was not hwile (which), but whaet (what); and the genitive and dative cases, whaes and wham, were the same in all the genders. This shows that what originally had the same relation to nouns of the neuter gender that who had to those of the masculine.

The Germans use was (what) in many instances where we use which, or that; "Alles was ich sah, gefiel mir," (All what I saw, pleased mc.)

COMPOUND

RELATIVE PRONOUNS.

When ever, or soever is annexed to relative pronouns, they are called compound relative pronouns.

They are used only when the antecedent is omitted on account of its being indefinite; and in such cases they are more commonly used than the simple pronoun.

Thus, "Whoever steals my purse steals trash;" "Whoever does no good does harm;" "Whatever purifies fortifies the heart." In the first two examples the antecedent is person, or something equivalent; in the last it is thing.

What are compound relative pronouns? |

How are they used?