Universal 839: clause initial marker ( in Rel Cl) ⇒ N Rel

Universal 839: clause initial marker ( in Rel Cl) ⇒ N Rel

Original

Only postnominal clauses may contain an obligatory initial relative particle or nominal that is not generally present in that position in the corresponding unmarked simple sentence.This initial element may be
(a) a distinctive relative particle,
(b) a complementizer of more general distribution;
(c) a pronoun that agrees with its antecedent (the head noun) in case, number, etc.; or
(d) a noun phrase or prepositional phrase containing the relative nominal (i.e. the nominal of the subordinate form).
This marker may be obligatory in at least some types of relative clauses in a given language.

Standardized

In relative clauses, IF there is a clause-initial marker, THEN the relative clause is postnominal.

Keywords

postnominal, relative clause, relative particle, order

Domain

syntax

Type

implication

Status

achronic

Quality

absolute

Basis

languages mentioned in Downing 1977

Source

Downing 1977: 166

Counterexamples