Chapter 7
Syntax: complex sentences
The following sentence exemplifies an ASL construction that includes a relative clause. Which type of relative clause is this? Please provide arguments for your answer.
‘The dog which recently chased the cat came home.’
This is a head-internal relative clause. Two characteristics of the sentence suggest this analysis. First, the head noun dog must be internal to the relative clause as it follows the temporal adverb recently that modifies the verb chase within the relative clause; clearly if the adverb is part of the relative clause, the head noun cannot be external to the relative clause. Second, the head noun dog falls under the scope of the non-manual marker accompanying the relative clause (i.e. raised eyebrows).