

What is a relativizer?



A relativizer is a subordinating conjunction that links a relative clause to its head noun.


It is distinguishable from a relative pronoun in that it does not have a nominal function within the relative clause.

Example (Hausa)
na ga mutumin da ya yi aikin
I_PERF see the_man RELATIVIZER he_PERF do the_work
‘I saw the man who did the work.’

Despite the English translation ‘who’, da is not the subject within the relative clause and is not a pronoun.

  A relativizer is a kind of

Schachter 1985 51

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