Heavy Construction

279.

a. A clause introduced by a Relative Pronoun or Relative Adverb is called a Relative Clause: -

• Mosa prófluit ex monte Vosegó, quí est in fínibus Lingonum (B. G. iv. 10), the Meuse rises in the Vosges mountains, which are on the borders of the Lingones.

For Relative Pronouns (or Relative Adverbs) serving to connect independent sentences, see § 308. f.

b. A clause introduced by an Adverb of Time is called a Temporal Clause: -

• cum tacent, clámant (Cat. i. 21), while they are silent, they cry aloud.

  

• hominés aegrí morbó graví, cum iactantur aestú febríque, sí aquam gelidam biberint, prímó relevárí videntur (id. i. 31), men suffering with a severe sickness, when they are tossing with the heat of fever, if they drink cold water, seem at first to be relieved.

c. A clause containing a Condition, introduced by sí, if (or some equivalent expression), is called a Conditional Clause. A sentence containing a conditional clause is called a Conditional Sentence.

Thus, sí aquam gelidam biberint, prímó relevárí videntur (in b, above) is a Conditional Sentence, and sí ... biberint is a Conditional Clause.

d. A clause expressing the Purpose of an action is called a Final Clause: -

• edó ut vívam, I eat to live (that I may live).

  

• mísit légátós quí dícerent, he sent ambassadors to say (who should say).

e. A clause expressing the Result of an action is called a Consecutive Clause: - [1][Observe that the classes defined in a - e are not mutually exclusive, but that a single clause may belong to several of them at once. Thus a relative clause is usually subordinate, and may be at the same time temporal or conditional; and subordinate clauses may be coördinate with each other.]

• tam longé aberam ut nón vidérem, I was too far away to see (so far away that I did not see).