we who have

[navi tasan]

1) We who have seen a war know what to expect.

Does that mean:
a) Those of us who have seen a war know what to expect.
or:
b. We, who have seen a war, know what to expect.

or could it have both meanings?

2) They who have seen a war know what to expect.

Does that mean:
c) Those who have seen a war know what to expect.
or:
d. They, who have seen a war, know what to expect.

or could it have both meanings?

 

[5jj]

The originals have a defining relative - no commas.

Your replacement sentences need the same constructions.

 

[jutfrank]

1) We who have seen a war know what to expect.

Does that mean:
a) Those of us who have seen a war know what to expect.
or:
b. We, who have seen a war, know what to expect.

or could it have both meanings?

In speech, your second meaning would include short pauses to show the the relative clause is non-defining.

2) They who have seen a war know what to expect.

Does that mean:
c) Those who have seen a war know what to expect.
or:
d. They, who have seen a war, know what to expect.

or could it have both meanings?

As I said above, if the sentence includes short pauses, you should transcribe it with commas, as with sentence d.

Sentence c. is a different sentence as it uses Those instead of They.

 

[navi tasan]

Thank you both very much,

You are right Jutfrank. I made a mistake. 'C' should be:
c) Those of them who have seen a war know what to expect.

My apologies.

 

[jutfrank]

I believe you're now asking a different and somewhat unrelated question, which is this:

What differences in use and meaning, if any, exist between the following two sentences?

1) They who have seen a war know what to expect.
2) Those who have seen a war know what to expect.

 

[navi tasan]

Thank you very much, Jutfrank,

Actually I thought you were pointing out to me that my (c) was different from my '2'. That is why I apologized.

The more I think about it, the more they seem to have the same meaning.


Gratefully,
Navi