Reference tables: demonstratives

All four tables are under the heading of demonstratives because, in terms of English grammar, they perform more than one function:

(1) demonstrative adjectives describing a noun e.g. hic liber | this book

(2) demonstrative pronouns replacing a noun e.g. hoc dīxit | he said this

As demonstrative pronouns their meanings extend to express pronouns such as he, she, it, them etc.

[1] hic, haec, hoc: this (pl. these); this one; this (man) etc.; (s)he etc. referring to something / someone near the speaker

[2] ille, illa, illud: that (pl. those); that one; that (man) etc.; (s)he etc. referring to something / someone at a distance from the speaker

Note: ille and hic and can also be used to distinguish between two (groups of) people in a similar way to English ‘the former’ and ‘the latter’.

Deōs igitur auguriō cōnsulunt. … Priōrī [i] Remō signum venit; cui sex vulturēs cito appārent. Hōc nūntiātiō, duodecim [ii] Rōmulō sēsē ostendunt. Utrumque rēgem suī comitēs salūtāvērunt. Tempore enim [i] illī, [ii] hī numerō avium rēgnum sibi vindicābant.

Therefore, they consulted the gods by means of an augur. A sign came first to [i] Remus, and six vultures quickly appeared to him. After this had been announced, twelve showed themselves to [ii] Romulus. The groups of supporters each greeted their king, for [i] the former (i.e. the supporters of Remus) laid claim to the kingdom based upon (priority of) time, [ii] the latter (i.e. the supporters of Romulus) on the number of birds.

In Latin literature, the use of hic and ille to refer to the former and the latter is not consistent in terms of which of the two comes first. English, however, will always translate the first one as ‘the former’ and the second as ‘the latter’.

[3] iste, ista, istud: this / that (pl. those / these); this / that one; this / that (man) etc.; (s)he etc. referring to something / someone near the listener. However, in Classical Latin, iste has a pejorative sense i.e. the person or thing is being referred to in negative terms. English can convey a similar meaning in context; your son arrives with his latest girlfriend but, effectively ignoring the girl, you ask your son directly “And who’s this?” i.e. it conveys distance and / or disapproval.

Translations of iste etc. may, depending on context, include a pejorative adjective such as ‘wretched’ or convey the idea by rewording:

Quid istud est negōtī? (Plautus) │ What business is that of yours?

In later Latin the pejorative sense of iste is lost.

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2025/08/021125-level-3-review-demonstratives-1.html

[4] is, ea, id: (s)he, it (pl. they); this / that (person/thing): unlike demonstratives [1] – [3] above, is, ea, id refer to something / someone previously mentioned; they are not ‘pointing’ to a noun or referring to a noun for the first time:

(1) My son was learning quadratic equations. He found them very difficult. They’re not easy for him to understand.

i.e. is, ea, id are most often translated as the pronouns (s)he, it, him etc. Bear in mind that, as subject pronouns, they are very frequently omitted since the verb ending makes it clear who / what is performing the action.

(2) is, ea, id can also act as demonstrative adjectives meaning ‘this / that (person/thing)’, but they are merely referring back to what has already been mentioned e.g. eō tempore | at that time.

https://adckl.blogspot.com/2024/06/020724-level-2-is-ea-id-2-uses.html

[5] For all the demonstratives listed, (1) the genitive and dative singular and (2) the dative and ablative plural are the same for all genders (marked in yellow).

[6] For all the demonstratives listed, the genitive singular and plural forms can translate as the possessive adjectives ‘his, hers, its’ and ‘their’ although it is the singular eius [all genders] and the plural eōrum [masculine / neuter] and eārum [feminine] that are most common.