1183:
438:
Michael Cysouw (2011). "Quantitative explorations of the worldwide distribution of rare characteristics, or: the exceptionality of northwestern
European languages". In Horst J. Simon & Heike Wiese (ed.).
170:
Even within languages that have relative pronouns, not all relative clauses contain relative pronouns. For example, in the
English sentence "The man you saw yesterday was my uncle", the relative clause
127:, a relative pronoun has no antecedent: the relative clause itself plays the role of the co-referring element in the main clause. For example, in "I like what you did",
43:. A relative pronoun plays the role of a noun phrase within that clause. For example, in the relative clause "which Jack built," "which" is a pronoun functioning as the
620:
312:
In
English, different pronouns are sometimes used if the antecedent is a human being, as opposed to a non-human or an inanimate object (as in
290:
indicates its relationship with the verb in the relative or main clause. In some other languages, the relative pronoun is an invariable word.
564:
591:
613:
112:
of that pronoun. In most cases the antecedent is a nominal (noun or noun phrase), though the pronoun can also refer to a whole
1455:
1273:
1265:
965:
784:
681:
606:
301:. This suggests that relative pronouns might be a fairly late development in many languages. Some languages, such as
651:
1375:
875:
413:
391:
521:
1187:
696:
1321:
1148:
1057:
1392:
1283:
1278:
1255:
1077:
1072:
1067:
1047:
1042:
1037:
1017:
810:
646:
87:
548:
120:
is the clause "The train was late" (the thing that annoyed me was the fact of the train's being late).
1397:
1331:
1163:
1120:
1022:
885:
845:
124:
116:, as in "The train was late, which annoyed me greatly", where the antecedent of the relative pronoun
107:
1178:
1158:
805:
1344:
1311:
1237:
1222:
1207:
1197:
1110:
1105:
1095:
890:
820:
815:
478:
Dayal, Veneeta (1996). "Locality in WH Quantification: Questions and
Relative Clauses in Hindi".
298:
263:
259:
176:
293:
Words used as relative pronouns often originally had other functions. For example, the
English
1481:
1301:
1227:
1202:
1125:
990:
935:
905:
865:
570:
560:
542:
1339:
1212:
1062:
1027:
945:
740:
487:
418:
287:
160:
102:
The element in the main clause that the relative pronoun in the relative clause stands for (
44:
1247:
1168:
1130:
1115:
995:
985:
900:
895:
835:
701:
671:
578:
559:]. Studies in Slavic Linguistics; 10 (in German). Munich: Lincom Europa. p. 330.
408:
271:
164:
28:
163:
does not have relative pronouns at all and forms relative clauses (or their equivalents)
598:
1429:
1387:
1349:
1251:
980:
970:
960:
855:
850:
830:
825:
754:
629:
302:
275:
91:
1475:
1354:
1306:
1173:
1153:
1032:
950:
930:
880:
860:
840:
159:
Only about 7% of the languages around the world have relative pronouns. For example,
56:
1443:
1417:
1407:
1380:
1242:
975:
940:
915:
870:
691:
286:—the relative pronoun agrees with its antecedent in gender and number, while its
1100:
910:
789:
750:
715:
706:
491:
403:
229:(Similarly with prepositions and prepositional phrases in general, for example,
113:
35:
in the sentence "This is the house which Jack built." Here the relative pronoun
1460:
1359:
1316:
1293:
1217:
1052:
955:
925:
920:
774:
769:
676:
666:
656:
267:
50:
In the
English language, the following are the most common relative pronouns:
139:) in the main clause. A relative pronoun used this way is sometimes called a
1450:
1412:
1192:
1009:
764:
710:
686:
574:
582:
1439:
1434:
337:
With the relative pronouns, sentences (1) and (2) would read like this:
1424:
1140:
745:
661:
24:
510:
309:, the relative pronouns are distinct from the interrogative pronouns.
1402:
1087:
779:
759:
306:
283:
279:
62:
725:
638:
587:
602:
175:
contains no relative pronoun. It can be said to have a gap, or
131:
is a relative pronoun, but without an antecedent. The clause
191:
Other arguments can be relativised using relative pronouns:
543:
http://homes.chass.utoronto.ca/~cpercy/courses/6362-lee.htm
39:
introduces the relative clause, which modifies the noun
520:
Iliev, Iv., The Origin of
Bulgarian Relative Pronouns.
378:
is used because the teller is a person. Alternatively,
305:, have no relative pronouns. In some languages such as
143:, since the antecedent appears fused into the pronoun (
326:
This is a bank. This bank accepted my identification.
332:
She is a bank teller. She helped us open an account.
1368:
1330:
1292:
1264:
1139:
1086:
1008:
798:
733:
724:
637:
390:) relative clauses in either case. For details see
135:itself plays the role of a nominal (the object of
515:American Speech: A Quarterly of Linguistic Usage
441:Expecting the unexpected: Exceptions in grammar
147:in this example can be regarded as a fusion of
443:. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. pp. 411–431.
374:is used because the bank is a thing; the word
614:
511:On the Choice of Relative Pronouns in English
8:
179:, in the position of the object of the verb
16:Type of pronoun that marks a relative clause
730:
621:
607:
599:
430:
465:
453:
480:Studies in Linguistics and Philosophy
370:are the relative pronouns. The word
7:
362:In sentences (3) and (4), the words
553:Der Relativsatz im Serbokroatischen
509:Gregory R. Guy and Robert Bayley, "
557:Relative Clauses in Serbo-Croatian
14:
82:, though some linguists analyze
517:, 70.2 (1995), pp. 148–62.
1:
106:in the above example) is the
419:Relative pronouns in Spanish
231:These are the walls between
492:10.1007/978-94-011-4808-5_5
347:accepted my identification.
1498:
1456:Syntax–semantics interface
357:helped us open an account.
86:in relative clauses as a
31:. An example is the word
876:Exceptional case-marking
414:English relative clauses
392:English relative clauses
223:Jack built the house in
353:She is the bank teller
258:In some languages with
215:Jessica gave a gift to.
682:Initial-stress-derived
248:friend built my house.
141:fused relative pronoun
1193:Inclusive / Exclusive
541:, published in 2006,
47:of the verb "built."
219:Prepositional object
165:by different methods
125:free relative clause
1073:Relative subsective
966:Regular / Irregular
811:Andative / Venitive
647:Abstract / Concrete
632:and their features
630:Lexical categories
299:interrogative word
211:Hunter is the boy
199:Hunter is the boy
1469:
1468:
1274:Casally modulated
1179:Formal / Informal
1068:Pure intersective
1018:Anti-intersective
1004:
1003:
951:Preterite-present
468:, pp. 16–19.
456:, pp. 36–37.
382:is often used in
343:This is the bank
207:Object complement
173:you saw yesterday
1489:
1048:Non-intersective
731:
623:
616:
609:
600:
586:
549:Kordić, Snježana
496:
495:
475:
469:
463:
457:
451:
445:
444:
435:
244:Jack is the boy
161:Mandarin Chinese
21:relative pronoun
1497:
1496:
1492:
1491:
1490:
1488:
1487:
1486:
1472:
1471:
1470:
1465:
1364:
1326:
1288:
1260:
1188:Gender-specific
1135:
1082:
1000:
886:Germanic strong
794:
720:
633:
627:
597:
567:
547:
505:
500:
499:
477:
476:
472:
464:
460:
452:
448:
437:
436:
432:
427:
409:Relative clause
400:
256:
203:helped Jessica.
189:
157:
100:
29:relative clause
17:
12:
11:
5:
1495:
1493:
1485:
1484:
1474:
1473:
1467:
1466:
1464:
1463:
1458:
1453:
1448:
1447:
1446:
1432:
1430:Procedure word
1427:
1422:
1421:
1420:
1415:
1405:
1400:
1395:
1390:
1388:Complementizer
1385:
1384:
1383:
1372:
1370:
1366:
1365:
1363:
1362:
1357:
1352:
1347:
1342:
1336:
1334:
1328:
1327:
1325:
1324:
1319:
1314:
1309:
1304:
1298:
1296:
1290:
1289:
1287:
1286:
1281:
1276:
1270:
1268:
1262:
1261:
1259:
1258:
1245:
1240:
1235:
1230:
1225:
1220:
1215:
1210:
1205:
1200:
1195:
1190:
1184:Gender-neutral
1181:
1176:
1171:
1166:
1161:
1156:
1151:
1149:Bound variable
1145:
1143:
1137:
1136:
1134:
1133:
1128:
1123:
1118:
1113:
1108:
1103:
1098:
1092:
1090:
1084:
1083:
1081:
1080:
1075:
1070:
1065:
1060:
1055:
1050:
1045:
1040:
1035:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1014:
1012:
1006:
1005:
1002:
1001:
999:
998:
993:
988:
983:
978:
973:
968:
963:
958:
953:
948:
943:
938:
933:
928:
923:
918:
913:
908:
903:
898:
893:
888:
883:
878:
873:
868:
863:
858:
853:
848:
843:
838:
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
808:
806:Ambitransitive
802:
800:
796:
795:
793:
792:
787:
782:
777:
772:
767:
762:
757:
748:
743:
737:
735:
728:
722:
721:
719:
718:
713:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
664:
659:
654:
649:
643:
641:
635:
634:
628:
626:
625:
618:
611:
603:
596:
595:
565:
545:
539:which is which
523:
518:
506:
504:
501:
498:
497:
470:
458:
446:
429:
428:
426:
423:
422:
421:
416:
411:
406:
399:
396:
360:
359:
349:
335:
334:
328:
276:Serbo-Croatian
255:
252:
251:
250:
241:
238:
220:
217:
208:
205:
196:
188:
185:
156:
153:
99:
96:
92:complementizer
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1494:
1483:
1480:
1479:
1477:
1462:
1459:
1457:
1454:
1452:
1449:
1445:
1441:
1438:
1437:
1436:
1433:
1431:
1428:
1426:
1423:
1419:
1416:
1414:
1411:
1410:
1409:
1406:
1404:
1401:
1399:
1396:
1394:
1391:
1389:
1386:
1382:
1379:
1378:
1377:
1374:
1373:
1371:
1367:
1361:
1358:
1356:
1353:
1351:
1348:
1346:
1345:Interrogative
1343:
1341:
1338:
1337:
1335:
1333:
1329:
1323:
1320:
1318:
1315:
1313:
1312:Interrogative
1310:
1308:
1307:Demonstrative
1305:
1303:
1300:
1299:
1297:
1295:
1291:
1285:
1282:
1280:
1277:
1275:
1272:
1271:
1269:
1267:
1263:
1257:
1256:Prepositional
1253:
1249:
1246:
1244:
1243:Strong / Weak
1241:
1239:
1236:
1234:
1231:
1229:
1226:
1224:
1221:
1219:
1216:
1214:
1211:
1209:
1208:Interrogative
1206:
1204:
1201:
1199:
1196:
1194:
1191:
1189:
1185:
1182:
1180:
1177:
1175:
1172:
1170:
1167:
1165:
1162:
1160:
1157:
1155:
1154:Demonstrative
1152:
1150:
1147:
1146:
1144:
1142:
1138:
1132:
1129:
1127:
1124:
1122:
1121:Prepositional
1119:
1117:
1114:
1112:
1111:Interrogative
1109:
1107:
1104:
1102:
1099:
1097:
1094:
1093:
1091:
1089:
1085:
1079:
1076:
1074:
1071:
1069:
1066:
1064:
1061:
1059:
1056:
1054:
1051:
1049:
1046:
1044:
1041:
1039:
1036:
1034:
1033:Demonstrative
1031:
1029:
1026:
1024:
1021:
1019:
1016:
1015:
1013:
1011:
1007:
997:
994:
992:
989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
977:
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
952:
949:
947:
944:
942:
939:
937:
934:
932:
929:
927:
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
891:Germanic weak
889:
887:
884:
882:
881:Frequentative
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
862:
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
821:Autocausative
819:
817:
816:Anticausative
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
803:
801:
797:
791:
788:
786:
785:Transgressive
783:
781:
778:
776:
773:
771:
768:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
752:
749:
747:
744:
742:
739:
738:
736:
732:
729:
727:
723:
717:
714:
712:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
658:
655:
653:
650:
648:
645:
644:
642:
640:
636:
631:
624:
619:
617:
612:
610:
605:
604:
601:
593:
589:
584:
580:
576:
572:
568:
566:3-89586-573-7
562:
558:
554:
550:
546:
544:
540:
536:
532:
528:
525:Soojin Lee, "
524:
522:
519:
516:
512:
508:
507:
502:
493:
489:
485:
481:
474:
471:
467:
462:
459:
455:
450:
447:
442:
434:
431:
424:
420:
417:
415:
412:
410:
407:
405:
402:
401:
397:
395:
393:
389:
385:
381:
377:
373:
369:
365:
358:
356:
350:
348:
346:
340:
339:
338:
333:
329:
327:
323:
322:
321:
319:
315:
310:
308:
304:
300:
296:
291:
289:
285:
281:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
254:Variant forms
253:
249:
247:
242:
239:
236:
234:
228:
226:
221:
218:
216:
214:
209:
206:
204:
202:
197:
194:
193:
192:
186:
184:
182:
178:
174:
168:
166:
162:
154:
152:
150:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
121:
119:
115:
111:
110:
105:
97:
95:
93:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
64:
59:
58:
53:
48:
46:
42:
38:
34:
30:
27:that marks a
26:
22:
1444:Pro-sentence
1418:Onomatopoeia
1408:Interjection
1381:Measure word
1232:
1164:Distributive
1058:Postpositive
1038:Intersective
991:Unaccusative
936:Performative
906:Intransitive
866:Ditransitive
692:Noun adjunct
556:
552:
538:
534:
530:
526:
514:
503:Bibliography
483:
479:
473:
461:
449:
440:
433:
387:
383:
379:
375:
371:
367:
363:
361:
354:
352:
344:
342:
336:
331:
325:
317:
313:
311:
294:
292:
257:
245:
243:
232:
230:
224:
222:
212:
210:
200:
198:
190:
180:
172:
169:
158:
148:
144:
140:
136:
133:what you did
132:
128:
122:
117:
108:
103:
101:
83:
79:
75:
71:
67:
61:
55:
51:
49:
40:
36:
32:
20:
18:
1393:Conjunction
1159:Disjunctive
1096:Conjunctive
1043:Nominalized
946:Predicative
790:Verbal noun
741:Attributive
535:that’s that
466:Kordić 1999
454:Kordić 1999
404:Relativizer
388:restrictive
297:is also an
268:declensions
266:, and noun
227:I now live.
114:proposition
98:Antecedents
88:conjunction
1461:Yes and no
1376:Classifier
1360:Possessive
1322:Quantifier
1317:Possessive
1294:Determiner
1266:Adposition
1238:Resumptive
1223:Reciprocal
1218:Possessive
1198:Indefinite
1126:Pronominal
1078:Subsective
1053:Possessive
1023:Collateral
996:Unergative
986:Transitive
901:Inchoative
896:Impersonal
836:Catenative
775:Participle
770:Infinitive
702:Relational
672:Collective
652:Adjectival
425:References
149:that which
109:antecedent
1451:Prop-word
1413:Ideophone
1340:Discourse
1279:Inflected
1228:Reflexive
1203:Intensive
1010:Adjective
981:Stretched
971:Separable
961:Reflexive
856:Denominal
851:Defective
831:Captative
826:Auxiliary
765:Gerundive
755:Nonfinite
677:Countable
270:—such as
240:Possessor
235:Jack ran.
1482:Pronouns
1476:Category
1440:Pro-verb
1435:Pro-form
1332:Particle
1284:Stranded
1233:Relative
1213:Personal
1131:Relative
1116:Locative
1106:Genitive
931:Negative
861:Deponent
841:Compound
588:Contents
583:2863535W
575:42422661
551:(1999).
398:See also
384:defining
76:whomever
1425:Preverb
1302:Article
1248:Subject
1141:Pronoun
976:Stative
941:Phrasal
916:Lexical
871:Dynamic
846:Copular
746:Converb
662:Animacy
592:Summary
533:?: The
195:Subject
155:Absence
72:whoever
25:pronoun
1403:Coverb
1398:Copula
1252:Object
1169:Donkey
1088:Adverb
1063:Proper
1028:Common
911:Labile
780:Supine
760:Gerund
751:Finite
716:Verbal
707:Strong
697:Proper
581:
573:
563:
513:", in
282:, and
272:German
264:number
260:gender
78:, and
45:object
1369:Other
1350:Modal
1174:Dummy
926:Modal
921:Light
799:Types
734:Forms
657:Agent
555:[
531:Which
380:which
351:(4)
341:(3)
330:(2)
324:(1)
307:Hindi
303:Welsh
295:which
284:Latin
280:Hindi
246:whose
233:which
225:which
123:In a
118:which
104:house
63:whose
52:which
41:house
37:which
33:which
23:is a
1355:Noun
1101:Flat
956:Pure
726:Verb
711:Weak
687:Mass
667:Bare
639:Noun
571:OCLC
561:ISBN
527:That
386:(or
372:that
366:and
364:that
345:that
320:).
318:that
316:vs.
288:case
213:whom
187:Role
177:zero
145:what
137:like
129:what
84:that
80:that
68:whom
537:of
529:or
488:doi
376:who
368:who
355:who
314:who
201:who
181:saw
151:).
57:who
1478::
1442:/
1254:/
1250:/
1186:/
753:/
709:/
590:.
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