“his” in Latin

suus (when it relates to the principal substantive of the sentence; i. e., to the definite subject or object of the verb to which it belongs itself): ejus, illius (when it does not relate to the principal substantive of the sentence, and whenever the use of suus would create an ambiguity; thus, accipiter cepit columbam in nido suo would leave it doubtful whether the hawk’s nest or the dove’s was meant: so Sextius... ad eum [Scipionem] filium ejus adduxit, i. e., Scipio’s; suum would be ambiguous. Achaei Macedonum regem suspectum habebant pro ejus crudelitate, Liv., ; but suus is even here used when the sense of the passage sufficiently guards against the grammatically possible obscurity; ☞ Krüger, 407). ☞ 1. In a dependent sentence, suus is generally used when the “his” relates to the subject of the principal sentence, provided it could not be referred to the subject of the dependent sentence itself; e.g., tum ei dormienti idem ille visus est rogare, ut quoniam sibi vivo non subvenisset, mortem suam ne inultam esse pateretur; sometimes, however, ejus is used in tins case (Vid: remark on ejus, illius), and very often ipsius, which should be regularly used when suus would produce an ambiguity; e.g., Caes., milites suos incusavit - cur de sua [ = militum] virtute, aut de ipsius [= Caesaris] diligentia desperarent, Caes. ☞ In the case of the accusative with the infinitive, “is” is allowable, (α) if the accusative with the infinitive does not depend immediately on the verb to whose subject the “his” refers; e.g., Siculi me saepe pollicitum esse dicebant - commodis eorum me non defuturum; the accusative and infinitive depends immediately on pollicitum esse, not dicebant: (β) if the pronoun relates not to the subject, but to the object, aranti Q. Cincinnato nuntiatum est, eum dictatorem esse factum, Cic.; but here sui is correct and common (Krüger, 411). ☞ In dependent clauses with a finite verb: if the verb is in indicative,” is” is used; if in the subjunctive, suus: tangebatur animi dolore, quod domum ejus... reddiderunt nudam atque inanem, where it might be quod domum suam reddidissent, if the statement were not made as a fact: These rules, however, are neither of them without exception (Krüger, 411, 412). ☞ 2. In co-ordinate clauses (joined by ‘but,” “and”) “is” is used; thus, when two subjects are connected by “and,” the second being referred to the first by “his,” ejus is used; but if the connection is by cum, suus is used; e.g., Isocrates et discipuli ejus; Isocrates cum discipulis suis; so, too, Isocrates sine discipulis suis. ☞ 3. “His” in Latin, is not expressed unless there is some emphasis or distinction, or the notion of possession is to be strongly marked; e.g., not my book, but his, non meus liber, sed illius. His own, suus proprius: ejus proprius (when possession is strongly marked: the former, when the reference is to the principal substantive; the latter, when not): suus (when possession is either not meant, or not strongly marked): ☞ suus is sometimes strengthened by the appended met or pte, and by the addition of ipse, agreeing with the subject or other principal word to which “his” refers; Crassum suapte interfectum manu, Cic.; saevitia, quam... in sanguine ipse suo exerceret, Liv., 7, 4. Sometimes the ipse is in the genitive, but this “does not occur so often as Drakenborch [Liv., 7, 40, 9] thinks” (Z.), when the reference is to the subject; e.g., suum ipsius caput exsecratum, Liv. 30, 20, for ipsum. His party, friends, etc., sui: to render to every man his due, suum cuique tribuere. ☞ “On his part,” after a negative, nec... quidem (e.g., sed nec Jugurtha quidem interea quietus erat, Sall., Jug., 51).