The principles of Latin grammar; comprising the ... - Essan.org

—§ 34 INTERROGATIVE PRONOUN. 79Plural.Masc. Fern. Neut.N. qui, quas, quae,G. quorum, quarum, quorum,D. queis or quibus, &c,Ac. quos, quas, quas,Ab. queis or quibus, &c.(For the inflection of the compound interrogatives, see 131-1 and 2.)127. OBSERVATIONS.1. All interrogative pronouns used in a dependent clause,and without a question, are indefinites (12S) ; as, nescio quissit, " I know not who he is." In this sense, qui is often usedfor quis for the sake of euphony, when the following wordbegins with an s; as, qui sit aperit. " he shews who he is."So also such adjectives as quantus, qualis, &c.2. The interrogative quis is commonly used as a substantivewithout a noun following it; qui, as an adjective before anoun. Quis means " what man ?" or " Who ?" and. applies toboth sexes ; qui means " which man," and has its femininequae. This distinction, however, is often disregarded, especiallyas mentioned in Obs. 1. But, in the neuter gender, quid isalways used as a substantive, and governs its noun in thegenitive; as, Quid /acinar is commisit ? " What crime has hecommitted?" Whereas, quod is always used as an adjective,and agrees with its noun; as, Quod /acinus commisit?Note.— Quid is often used elliptically thus : Quid ? " why V is forpropterquid?—As an interrogative interjection at the beginning of a sentence, Quid,?is for Quid aisf Quid censes? So also the expressions Quid verff Quid,igltur ? Quid hum?