Relatively ...

Con Kh.   Friday, November 05, 2004, 17:19 GMT
Hi everybody,

Could you tell whether it's possible to use 'relatively' in the meaning of 'regarding, conserning, about, etc...'.

For example:

'Regarding you letter, I haven't read it yet.'

Is it possible to use 'relatively' here instead of 'regarding', i.e.

'Relatively your letter, I haven't read it yet.'

Thanks in advance.
Con
D   Friday, November 05, 2004, 19:43 GMT
No, you cannot use relatively to mean regarding.
Ant_222   Friday, November 05, 2004, 19:50 GMT
I think you can say "Relative to your letter, ..."
Someone   Saturday, November 06, 2004, 01:47 GMT
"I think you can say "Relative to your letter, ...""

Perhaps, but you would sound rather odd.
Damian   Saturday, November 06, 2004, 13:26 GMT
Informal: "About your letter...I haven't read it yet".

Formal: "With reference to your letter, I have not yet read it".

Disregard the word "relatively", it's not suitable in this context.

One of the best plays which our drama group at uni put on was called "Relatively Speaking", by the playwright Alan Ayckbourn. It was basically a comedy involving mistaken identities in a family relationship and all the comic situations arising from that one fine summer Sunday morning on the patio of a house in a village in Buckinghamshire.

Relatively speaking usually means a reference to an appropriate connection; a relative also means a member of your family.
Con Kh.   Saturday, November 06, 2004, 15:33 GMT
Thank you all for your help. I really very appreciate it.

Con
Ant_222   Sunday, November 07, 2004, 15:23 GMT
The Free Dictionary gives the frollowing definition for "relative to":
With regard to; concerning: questions relative to the deficit.

According to this definition, "relative to" may be used here as well.
Anton