Pronoun – Relative singular

ObjectivesLearning objectives

• The syntax and semantics of the verb ὑπάρχω
• The morphology, syntax, and semantics of the sg relative pronoun

VocabularyVocabulary

Noteὑπάρχω

The verb ὑπάρχω often functions like the copula εἰμί. Like εἰμί, it can take a predicate noun in nominative case, e.g. Ἐγὼ δοῦλος θεοῦ ὑπάρχω ‘I am a slave of God.’ It is also commonly found as a neuter participle in the form τὰ ὑπάρχοντα to refer to someone’s possessions.

MorphologyMorphology: Pronoun – Relative singular

• The forms are based on the 2nd declension (masc/neut) and 1st declension (fem) endings
• The neut nom/acc forms have no final ν (like the article τό)
• Accenting rules
• Not an enclitic or proclitic
• Rough breathing mark
• The accent is circumflex in gen and dat, and acute/grave in nom and acc (except for fem acc ἧν)
• Accents may distinguish between article and relative pronoun: ἡ (article) vs. ἥ (rel pron), ὁ (article) vs. ὅ (rel pron), ᾧ (rel pro) vs. ὦ (voc article)

SyntaxSyntax: Pronoun – Relative

Relative pronouns were introduced in 19.4.3 with ὅπου where we described them as introducing a clause that modifies a noun. Whereas ὅπου only modifies locations, the relative pronouns with ὅς can modify nouns of any kind, but the case, gender, and number have certain agreement patterns:

• (213) ἡ γυνὴ ἥν Παῦλος ἐβάπτισεν ἦλθεν The woman whom Paul baptized came

The relative pronoun ἥν begins the relative clause, which is ἥν Παῦλος ἐβάπτισεν. This modifies the noun ἡ γυνὴ. The gender and number of the relative pronoun agree with the noun it modifies–both γυνὴ and ἥν are fem sg. However, the case of the relative pronoun is usually determined not by the case of the noun it modifies, but by the case of the grammatical function of the relative pronoun within the subordinate clause. In the subordinate clause ἥν Παῦλος ἐβάπτισεν ‘whom Paul baptized,’ the verb ἐβάπτισεν takes an accusative argument, so the pronoun ἥν is in accusative case and is functioning as an object of ἐβάπτισεν within the relative clause itself.

SemanticsSemantics: Pronoun – Relative

Relative clauses are like adjectives in that they modify nouns. The two sentences Τὸ ὑψηλὸν τέκνον ἔφαγεν ἄρτον and Τὸ τέκνον ὅ ἐστι ὑψηλὸν ἔφαγεν ἄρτον are essentially equivalent. Both ‘the tall child’ and ‘the child who is tall’ refer to the same kind of child–a tall one. This is the most basic function of a relative clause, to further describe the noun it modifies.