Feature 15. Relative clauses

found in question(s): 39a, 39b, 40, 81

Definition and illustration

Relative clauses are usually defined as clauses functioning as modifiers of nouns or noun phrases. There are different kinds of relative clauses (e.g., externally or internally headed ones). In this database, only specific details are addressed.

Question 39 addresses the existence of relative pronouns in subject (question 39a) and object function (question 39b).

Question 40 checks whether the language has a specific type of relative clause known as relative-correlative construction (RCC). This type typically has an external relative clause (often in the left periphery) that is usually internally headed, exhibits a relative pronoun, and is taken up in the following main or correlative clause in a third person pronoun or demonstrative (the correlate) (e.g., Hölzl 2024b).

(1) Kolkata Bengali

Question 81 addresses the relative position of (externally-headed) relative clause and head noun, e.g. the boy [who is sitting there] exemplifies Rel-N order. (See also feature 32 for further information.)

Correlations

Relative pronouns are usually considered to be restricted to postnominal relative clauses and RCCs (e.g., Hölzl & Chatterjee accepted and the literature therein). They are a feature typically encountered in European languages, but also in some languages outside of Europe. [what is the correlation with OV/VO?]

Some types of relative clauses correlate with the order of object and verb. Externally headed relative clauses can precede (Rel-N) and follow the head noun (N-Rel). In languages with V-O order, this type of relative clauses is restricted to postnominal ones, with the exception of several languages in Southeast Asia, such as Mandarin (e.g., Hölzl 2024a). O-V order allows both prenominal and postnominal relative clauses, although the latter is much more common.

In sum, the following unidirectional correlations have been proposed (e.g., Dryer 2007):

(2) if V-O then N-Rel

(3) if Rel-N then O-V

In addition, there are correlations between relative clauses and other features, notably adnominal possession (Hölzl 2024a).

(4) if N-Gen then N-Rel

(5) if Rel-N then Gen-N

There are almost no languages with prenominal relative clauses (Rel-N) but postnominal genitives (N-Gen). Adnominal possession in turn correlates with basic word order (see feature 32).

Earlier studies have shown that RCCs are almost exclusively found in languages with (loose) OV order. As such, they represent a feature that unidirectionally correlates with the order of object and verb: if CRCs are present in a given language, then this language will likely also have OV word order (e.g., de Vries 2002; Hölzl 2024b).

References