(40) Are there correlative relative clauses (or any other internally headed relative clauses)?
Alternatives to be checked: yes / no; if yes, please specify
Korku (Austroasiatic)
| [jo | kitaabo | tebal-à-liɲ-en | ɖoò-k-en] | ɖii (kitaabo) | iɲ-àʔ | hoy. |
| which | book | table-GEN-on-LOC | put/keep-INTNSV-ITR.PST | that book | 1SG-GEN | COP |
'The book put/kept on the table is mine.' (Zide)
Explanation: Working definition of correlative relative clauses: an internally headed restrictive relative clause in the left periphery, followed by a main clause with a resumptive element (bi-clausal construction). Please exclude non-restrictive cases as well as cases without head nouns (e.g., The more the merrier.). For English, this is only attested in a variety in South Africa: South African Indian English (Mesthrie & Dunne). But now, [which-one principal came here], she's just cheeky like the other one.
Background: Both correlative relative clauses (only common in South Asia and West Africa) and internally headed relative clauses (common in North America) show some cross-linguistic connection to O-V order.