Datapoint Sri Lankan Malay/Object relative clauses

The head always appears to the right of the relative clause. Some speakers (see Feature 92 "Subject relative clauses") use a relativizer which cliticizes to the left edge of the verb in the relative clause (as in Example 105). This is homophonous with a past tense marker, however, which creates a certain degree of ambiguity.

Values

Zero and gap Frequency: 70.0%

Example 66-45:
Go nyari siklaatan dua kuçingpəðə iskulna duppang aðuuðung.
[Go
[1sg
nyari
today
si-klaatan]
pst-see]
dua
two
kuçing-pəðə
cat-pl
iskul-na
school-dat
duppang
before
a-ðuuðung.
pst-sit
The two cats I saw today are sitting in front of the school.
Example 66-107:
poðiyen sibilli teegiyang
[poðiyen
[boy
si-billi]
pst-buy]
teegi-yang
gift-acc.def
the gift that the boy just bought
Confidence:
Very certain

Verbal affix Frequency: 30.0%

Example 66-105:
Jalanka nyalari ayang baisikal atu ka terbuntur su matimati.
[Jalanka
[road.in
nya-lari]
rel-run]
ayang
chicken
baisikal-atu
bicycle-indf
ka
by
terbuntur
hit
su-matimati.
pst-die
The chicken which ran along the road was hit by a bicycle and died.

Source: Saldin 1996

Confidence:
Certain