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I know that the word 'whoever' is a pronoun , but is it a. an indefinite pronounce , b. a relative pronoun , or c. An indefinite relative pronoun- and does such a classification actually exist?

Would appreciate your views. Thanks.

elstiv
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  • Yes, it's indefinite (nonspecific indefinite, in fact); no, it's not a relative pronoun, and therefore, no, it's not an indefinite relative pronoun. The reason it isn't a relative pronoun is that it can't be used to introduce a relative clause: She doesn't know the person whoever shot him is ungrammatical. Wh-words with the -ever suffix (whoever, whatever, however, whenever, wherever, but not whyever) are usually found introducing headless relatives (She doesn't know whoever shot him), relative infinitives, or embedded question complements. – John Lawler Apr 29 '21 at 19:29
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    It's a compound relative pronoun found only in the fused relative construction ("Whoever said that was wrong"), and in the exhaustive interrogative construction where it functions as an adjunct ("I shan't be attending the meeting, whoever takes over the chair"). – BillJ Apr 30 '21 at 08:40
  • @BillJ ‘heads an adjunct’, no? – Araucaria - Him Apr 30 '21 at 11:09
  • As you can see, classification depends on which school you follow. – Edwin Ashworth Apr 30 '21 at 15:06

1 Answers1

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The compound pronoun "whoever" is found in 'fused' relative constructions and in the exhaustive interrogative construction which functions as an adjunct:

[1] Invite [whoever you want].

[2] I shan't be attending the meeting, [whoever takes over the chair].

In the fused relative construction in [1] "whoever" has a free choice meaning: you can invite anyone you want; it's non-referential -- it's for you to decide who you invite.

In [2], the exhaustive interrogative construction uses an interrogative clause to express a set of conditions that exhaustively cover the possibilities. "I shan't be attending the meeting if 'x' takes over the chair and I shan't be attending if 'y' takes over the chair; I shan't be attending the meeting whoever takes over the chair.

BillJ
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