_What_ is generally a compound relative, including both the antecedent
and the relative, and is equivalent to _that which_; as, "This is _what_
I wanted;" that is, _that which_, or, _the thing which_ I wanted.
_What_ is compounded of _which that_. These words have been contracted
and made to coalesce, a part of the orthography of both being still
retained: _what--wh[ich--t]hat_; (_which-that_.) Anciently it appeared
in the varying forms, _tha qua, qua tha, qu'tha, quthat, quhat, hwat_,
and finally, _what_.
_What_ may be used as three kinds of a pronoun, and as an interjection.
When it is equivalent to _that which, the thing which_, or _those things
which_, it is a compound relative, because it includes both the
antecedent and the relative; as, "I will try _what_ (that which) can be
found in female delicacy; _What_ you recollect with most pleasure, are
the virtuous actions of your past life;" that is, _those things which_
you recollect, &c.
When _what_ is a compound relative, you must always parse it as two
words; that is, you must parse the antecedent part as a noun, and give
it a case; the relative part you may analyze like any other relative,
giving it a case likewise. In the first of the preceding examples,
_that_, the antecedent part of _what_, is in the obj. case, governed by
the verb "will try;" _which_, the relative part, is in the nom. case to
"can be found." "I have heard _what_ (i.e. _that which_, or _the thing
which_) has been alleged."
_Whoever_ and _whosoever_ are also compound relatives, and should be
parsed like the compound _what_; as, "_Whoever_ takes that oath, is
bound to enforce the laws." In this sentence, _whoever_ is equivalent to
_he who_, or, _the man who_; thus, "_He who_ takes that oath, is bound,"
&c.
_Who, which_, and _what_, when used in asking questions, are called
interrogative pronouns, or relatives of the interrogative kind; as,
_"Who_ is he? _Which_ is the person? _What_ are you doing?"
Interrogative pronouns have no antecedent; but they relate to the word
or phrase which is the answer to the question, for their subsequent; as,
"_Whom_ did you see? The _preceptor. What_ have you done? _Nothing_."
Antecedent and subsequent are opposed to each other in signification.
Antecedent means preceding, or going before; and subsequent means
following, or coming after. _What_, when used as an interrogative, is
never compound.
_What, which_, and _that_, when joined to nouns, are specifying
adjectives, or adjective pronouns, in which situation they have no case,
but are parsed like adjective pronouns of the demonstrative or
indefinite kind; as, "Unto _which_ promise our twelve tribes hope to
come;" "_What_ misery the vicious endure! _What_ havock hast thou made,
foul monster, sin!"
_What_ and _which_, when joined to nouns in asking questions, are
denominated interrogative pronominal adjectives; as, "_What man_ is
that? _Which road_ did he take?"
_What, whatever_, and _whatsoever, which, whichever_, and _whichsoever_,
in constructions like the following, are compound pronouns, but not
compound relatives; as, "In _what_ character Butler was admitted, is
unknown; Give him _what_ name you choose; Nature's care largely endows
_whatever_ happy man will deign to use her treasures; Let him take
_which_ course, or, _whichever_ course he will." These sentences may be
rendered thus; "_That_ character, or, _the_ character in _which_ Butler
was admitted, is unknown; Give him _that_ name, or, _the_ name _which_
you choose; Nature's care endows _that_ happy man _who_ will deign, &c.;
Let him take _that_ course, or _the_ course _which_ he will." A compound
relative necessarily includes both an antecedent and a relative. These
compounds, you will notice, do not include antecedents, the first part
of each word being the article _the_, or the adjective pronoun, _that_;
therefore they cannot properly be denominated compound relatives.--With
regard to the word _ever_ annexed to these pronouns, it is a singular
fact, that, as soon as we analyze the word to which it is subjoined,
_ever_ is entirely excluded from the sentence.
_What_ is sometimes used as an interjection; as, "But _what!_ is thy
servant a dog, that he should do this? _What!_ rob us of our right of
suffrage, and then shut us up in dungeons!"
You have now come to the most formidable obstacle, or, if I may so
speak, to the most rugged eminence in the path of grammatical science;
but be not disheartened, for, if you can get safely over this, your
future course will be interrupted with only here and there a gentle
elevation. It will require close application, and a great deal of sober
thinking, to gain a clear conception of the nature of the relative
pronouns, particularly the compound relatives, which are not easily
comprehended by the young learner. As this eighth lecture is a very
important one, it becomes necessary for you to read it carefully four or
five times over before you proceed to commit the following order.
Whenever you parse, you may spread the Compendium before you, if you
please.