Reading: Demonstrative, Relative, Reflexive and Reciprocal Pronouns (Textbook)
CHAPTER 11
Demonstrative, Relative, Reflexive, and Reciprocal Pronouns
You will be able to—
1. recognize the various forms of the demonstrative pronouns
ἐκεῖνος (that) and οὗτος (this),
2. translate demonstrative pronouns and identify how they function within the syntax of the sentence,
3. recognize the various forms of the relative pronoun,
4. translate relative pronouns and identify how they function within the syntax of the sentence,
5. gain more practice in translating and working with Greek, and
6. master ten more high-frequency vocabulary words.
Introduction
We will explore four types of pronouns in this chapter. Pronouns are words used in place of one or more nouns. We have already looked at personal pronouns (he, she, it, I, you, they).
In this chapter we will examine four new types of pronouns: demonstrative, relative, reflexive, and reciprocal.
Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstratives are pointers. They point to things near (“this/these”) or things far (“that/those”). “These” and “those” are the plural forms.
Demonstratives may function like adjectives when they modify a word, or like pronouns when they stand alone.
- Adjective: He bought this computer.
- Pronoun: This is the computer.
Greek has two demonstratives:
ἐκεῖνος, ἐκείνη, ἐκεῖνο |
that/those (masc., fem., neut.) |
οὗτος, αὕτη, τοῦτο |
this/these (masc., fem., neut.) |
These can function either like a pronoun (when they stand alone) or like an adjective (thus agreeing with their antecedent in gender, number, and case).
When a demonstrative pronoun is adjectival, the noun often has the article and the demonstrative does not. It is then translated as an attributive adjective (e.g., “this book”).
Note that this is the opposite of other adjectives, which without the article are translated as predicate adjectives (e.g. “The book is red”).
The demonstratives are declined using the normal 2-1-2 declension schemes that you already know. Learn to recognize these forms as they apply now to the demonstrative pronouns (this/that).
ἐκεῖνος (that/those)
|
Singular |
Plural |
||||
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Masc. |
Fem. |
Neut. |
Masc. |
Fem. |
Neut. |
Nom. |
ἐκεῖνος |
ἐκείνη |
ἐκεῖνο |
ἐκεῖνοι |
ἐκεῖναι |
ἐκεῖνα |
Gen. |
ἐκείνου |
ἐκείνης |
ἐκείνου |
ἐκείνων |
ἐκείνων |
ἐκείνων |
Dat. |
ἐκείνῳ |
ἐκείνῃ |
ἐκείνῳ |
ἐκείνοις |
ἐκείναις |
ἐκείνοις |
Acc. |
ἐκεῖνον |
ἐκείνην |
ἐκεῖνο |
ἐκείνους |
ἐκείνας |
ἐκεῖνα |
οὗτος (this/these)
|
Singular |
Plural |
||||
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Masc. |
Fem. |
Neut. |
Masc. |
Fem. |
Neut. |
Nom. |
οὗτος |
αὕτη |
τοῦτο |
οὗτοι |
αὗται |
ταῦτα |
Gen. |
τούτου |
ταύτης |
τούτου |
τούτων |
τούτων |
τούτων |
Dat. |
τούτῳ |
ταύτῃ |
τούτῳ |
τούτοις |
ταύταις |
τούτοις |
Acc. |
τοῦτον |
ταύτην |
τοῦτο |
τούτους |
ταύτας |
ταῦτα |
Note: When there is an α or η in the ending, the stem will have an αυ, otherwise it is ου. Note also the addition of the τ in οὗτος in the same pattern as the article (missing the τ in the nom. masc./fem. singular and plural but present elsewhere). Interestingly the article may be used as a demonstrative or relative and even a personal pronoun in certain contexts.
Examples:
ἔσονται γὰρ αἱ ἡμέραι ἐκεῖναι
for those days will be (Mk. 13:19)
ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου
I am not of this world (Jn. 8:23).
ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες ὅτι ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἐστε
by this everyone will know that you are my disciples (Jn. 13:35).
μακάριοί εἰσιν ἐκεῖνοι
blessed are those (Lk. 12:38).
Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns are such words as who, whom, which, that, and whose. A relative pronoun introduces a subordinate clause qualifying an expressed or implied antecedent. Relative pronouns are often embedded in clauses that modify a noun. Who is regularly used for humans and which for nonhumans. Whose is used for both. The relative pronoun often introduces a group of words which are known as a relative clause.
The student who loves Greek will succeed. (“who loves Greek” = a relative clause)
The keys which were lost in the river are gone forever.
(which were lost in the river” = a relative clause)
ὅς (who/which)
|
Singular |
Plural |
||||
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Masc. |
Fem. |
Neut. |
Masc. |
Fem. |
Neut. |
Nom. |
ὅς |
ἥ |
ὅ |
οἵ |
αἵ |
ἅ |
Gen. |
οὗ |
ἧς |
οὗ |
ὧν |
ὧν |
ὧν |
Dat. |
ᾧ |
ᾗ |
ᾧ |
οἷς |
αἷς |
οἷς |
Acc. |
ὅν |
ἥν |
ὅ |
οὕς |
ἅς |
ἅ |
Note how similar these are to the noun endings and to the definite article. How are the nominative forms different from the definite article?
Reflexive and Reciprocal Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are used to indicate that the antecedent is acting on itself. This is similar to one of the rare functions of the middle voice in Greek.
Terry threw himself into the water from the bridge.
Because αὐτός can function in a reflexive sense in the nominative, the reflexive pronouns are found only in the genitive, dative, and accusative cases. These are translated “myself,” “yourself,” and so on.
First Person (myself)
|
Singular |
Plural |
||
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
Masc. |
Fem. |
Masc. |
Fem. |
Gen. |
ἐμαυτοῦ |
ἐμαυτῆς |
ἑαυτῶν |
ἑαυτῶν |
Dat. |
ἐμαυτῷ |
ἐμαυτῇ |
ἑαυτοῖς |
ἑαυταῖς |
Acc. |
ἐμαυτόν |
ἐμαυτήν |
ἑαυτούς |
ἑαυτάς |
Note: There are no nominative forms.
Second Person (yourself)
|
Singular |
Plural |
||
|
Masc. |
Fem. |
Masc. |
Fem. |
Gen. |
σεαυτοῦ |
σεαυτῆς |
ἑαυτῶν |
ἑαυτῶν |
Dat. |
σεαυτῷ |
σεαυτῇ |
ἑαυτοῖς |
ἑαυταῖς |
Acc. |
σεαυτόν |
σεαυτήν |
ἑαυτούς |
ἑαυτάς |
Note: There are no nominative forms.
Third Person (himself/herself/itself)
|
Singular |
Plural |
||||
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
Masc. |
Fem. |
Neut. |
Masc. |
Fem. |
Neut. |
Gen. |
ἑαυτοῦ |
ἑαυτῆς |
ἑαυτοῦ |
ἑαυτῶν |
ἑαυτῶν |
ἑαυτῶν |
Dat. |
ἑαυτῷ |
ἑαυτῇ |
ἑαυτῷ |
ἑαυτοῖς |
ἑαυταῖς |
ἑαυτοῖς |
Acc. |
ἑαυτόν |
ἑαυτήν |
ἑαυτό |
ἑαυτούς |
ἑαυτάς |
ἑαυτά |
Note: There are no nominative forms.
The reciprocal pronoun is used to indicate that several subjects are acting on each other.
They love one another.
ἀλλήλων (“one another”) is the Greek reciprocal pronoun. It specifies interaction of members within a group.
Translation Examples
μακάριος ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ὅν
Blessed is that slave who (Mat. 24:46)
ὁ λόγος ὃν ἀκούετε οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸς
the word that you hear is not mine (Jn. 14:24)
ἐπὶ τὰς δούλας μου ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις
upon my servants in those days (Acts 2:18)
Vocabulary
ἀπέρχομαι |
I go (away), leave (117) |
ἐκεῖνος, -η, -ο |
that (265) |
Ἰουδαῖος, -α, -ον |
Jewish, a Jew (195) |
καθώς |
as, just as (182) |
ὅς, ἥ, ὅ |
who, which (1365) |
ὅταν |
when, whenever (123) |
οὗτος, αὗτη, τοῦτο |
this (1388) |
πάλιν |
again, back (141) |
Πέτρος, -ου, ὁ |
Peter (150) |
ὑπέρ |
for, about (gen.) (150) |
|
above, beyond (acc.) |