Stabulum, ex quo bos mane exit, prope viam est.

Because ex takes the ablative case, and the relative pronoun has to match that case.

• qui, quae, quod = who, which
• ablative singular forms are:
  • masculine/neuter: quo
  • feminine: quā

Here stabulum is neuter singular, so the correct form is quo:

• ex quo = out of which / from which

It is not quod, because quod is nominative or accusative neuter singular, not ablative.

Ex quo introduces a relative clause modifying stabulum.

So the structure is:

• Stabulum ... est = The stable is ...
• ex quo bos mane exit = from which the cow/ox goes out in the morning

Literally:

• The stable, from which the ox exits in the morning, is near the road.

So ex quo means from which or out of which here.

Because quo is a relative pronoun, and relative pronouns refer back to a noun already mentioned, called the antecedent.

Here:

• antecedent: stabulum = stable
• relative pronoun: quo = which

So ex quo means from the stable.

A useful rule:

• the relative pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender and number
• but its case depends on its role in the relative clause

Here quo is:

• neuter singular because it refers to stabulum
• ablative because it follows ex

Because bos is the subject of exit.

In the clause:

• bos mane exit = the ox/cow goes out in the morning

the one doing the action is bos, so it is nominative singular.

Even though English often uses word order to show the subject, Latin mainly uses case endings. So bos is nominative because of its form and function, not just because of where it appears.

Bos is a general word for ox, cow, or cattle animal. Context decides the most natural translation.

So depending on context, it might be rendered as:

• ox
• cow
• sometimes more generally bovine animal

If the meaning has already been given to the learner, follow that meaning. But grammatically, bos itself is not as specific as English often is.

Mane means in the morning or simply early in the morning.

It is functioning adverbially, so Latin does not need a preposition like English often does.

So:

• mane exit = he/she/it goes out in the morning

This is very common in Latin: some time expressions appear without a preposition.

Also, mane can be treated as an indeclinable adverb in ordinary learning contexts.

Because Latin often uses compounds of eo (to go) to express motion.

• exit = goes out, from exeo
• literally ex- + it = goes out

So:

• bos exit = the ox/cow goes out

Latin could use other verbs in other contexts, but exit is perfectly normal and straightforward here.

Because prope takes the accusative case when it means near.

So:

• prope viam = near the road

This is something you simply learn with the word:

• prope + accusative

That is why it is viam rather than via.

Viam is accusative singular of via, a first-declension noun meaning road or way.

The forms here are:

• nominative: via
• accusative: viam

Since prope takes the accusative, Latin uses viam.

Latin word order is more flexible because grammatical roles are shown mainly by endings, not by position.

English strongly prefers:

• The stable is near the road.

Latin can do:

• Stabulum ... prope viam est

and insert the relative clause in the middle:

• Stabulum, ex quo bos mane exit, prope viam est.

This is very natural Latin style. The main sentence is:

• Stabulum ... est

with extra information placed between the subject and the verb.

It marks the relative clause as inserted information about stabulum.

In English, we often punctuate this kind of clause with commas when it is more like additional description:

• The stable, from which the ox goes out in the morning, is near the road.

In printed Latin, punctuation is a later editorial convention, not part of ancient Latin grammar itself. But in modern texts, commas are often used to help the reader see the structure.

Yes. In other contexts, ex quo can also mean since when or from the time when.

For example, in a different sentence it might be temporal rather than literal.

But in this sentence, because the antecedent is stabulum (stable), the meaning is clearly from which / out of which in a physical sense.

The main structure is:

• Stabulum ... est = The stable is ...

Then we get:

• ex quo bos mane exit = a relative clause describing stabulum
• prope viam = a prepositional phrase telling where the stable is

So the sentence breaks down as:

• Stabulum = subject
• ex quo bos mane exit = relative clause modifying stabulum
• prope viam = predicate phrase
• est = verb

A very literal layout would be:

• The stable, out of which the ox goes in the morning, is near the road.

A more natural English translation is:

• The stable, from which the ox comes out in the morning, is near the road.