INDEFINITE RELATIVES
[Sidenote: _List and examples._]
121. INDEFINITE RELATIVES are, by meaning and use, not as direct as
the simple relatives.
They are _whoever_, _whichever_, _whatever_, _whatsoever_; less common
are _whoso_, _whosoever_, _whichsoever_, _whatsoever_. The simple
relatives _who_, _which_, and _what_ may also be used as indefinite
relatives. Examples of indefinite relatives (from Emerson):--
1. _Whoever_ has flattered his friend successfully must at once
think himself a knave, and his friend a fool.
2. It is no proof of a man's understanding, to be able to affirm
_whatever_ he pleases.
3. They sit in a chair or sprawl with children on the floor, or
stand on their head, or _what_ else _soever_, in a new and
original way.
4. _Whoso_ is heroic will always find crises to try his edge.
5. Only itself can inspire _whom_ it will.
6. God offers to every mind its choice between truth and repose.
Take _which_ you please,--you cannot have both.
7. Do _what_ we can, summer will have its flies.
[Sidenote: _Meaning and use._]
122. The fitness of the term _indefinite_ here cannot be shown
better than by examining the following sentences:--
1. There is something so overruling in _whatever_ inspires us
with awe, in _all things which_ belong ever so remotely to
terror, that nothing else can stand in their presence.--BURKE.
2. Death is there associated, not with _everything that_ is most
endearing in social and domestic charities, but with _whatever_
is darkest in human nature and in human destiny.--MACAULAY.
It is clear that in 1, _whatever_ is equivalent to _all things
which_, and in 2, to _everything that_; no certain antecedent, no
particular thing, being referred to. So with the other indefinites.
[Sidenote: What _simple relative and_ what _indefinite relative_.]
123. The above helps us to discriminate between _what_ as a simple
and _what_ as an indefinite relative.
As shown in Sec. 120, the simple relative _what_ is equivalent to
_that which_ or the _thing which_,--some particular thing; as shown by
the last sentence in Sec. 121, _what_ means _anything that_,
_everything that_ (or _everything which_). The difference must be seen
by the meaning of the sentence, as _what_ hardly ever has an
antecedent.
The examples in sentences 5 and 6, Sec. 121, show that _who_ and
_which_ have no antecedent expressed, but mean _any one whom_, _either
one that_, etc.
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