Relative clauses
subordinate clauses typically introduced by the relative word which (or who etc.) and qualify a noun (antecedent). In MEg two specialized verb forms were used for this purpose:
participles
used when the noun qualified is the subject of a relative clause
relative forms
The participle follows the qualifies noun and agrees with its gender and number
can be past or present
rule of thumb: long forms with doubling and gemination are present whereas short are past
participles are subjectless verbs which have the meaning (one) who does/did something or, in the passive who is/was done
participles divided into four meaning categories acccording to their time-referenceas present and past as well as according to their voice as active or passive
A participle can only express who hears/heard (active) or who is/was heard (passive) everything else is a relative form