question about relative pronouns

Latin Learning Latin
1

From Nutting exercise 50:

We shall soon meet the hunter who lives in the woods…He often sits there in the shade to kill the wolves which come from the caves…Once he was able thus to catch a little bear, which he brought into the town.

In the translation key “who lives” is translated as Venatorem, qui in silvas habitat;

“to kill the wolves which come from the caves” is Saepe in umbra sedet ut lupos occidat, qui e speluncis veniunt;

“a little bear, which he brought into the town” is ursam ita capere potuit, quam in oppidum duxit.

I realize the relative pronoun agrees with its antecdent in number and gender, but gets its case from its role in the clause its in. I don’t understand why in the first two cases the relative pronoun is in the nominative, while in the last case it’s in the accusative. I would have thought all three cases would be in the accusative since they all are referring to the direct object of the verb.

2

In the first 2 clauses, the relative pronouns are the subject of the verbs in their clause, and so must be nominative. In the third example, the relative pronoun is the direct object of the verb duxit, and so must be accusative. It has nothing to do with the referent being a direct object or not. This is what it means that the relative pronoun gets its case by how its used in its clause.

3

Yes now I see the difference between the first two and the third case–thanks Barry.

4

It would be the same in English, assuming you could use the relative pronoun “who” also in the second and third case:


to kill the wolves, who come from the caves


a little bear, whom he brought into the town