| relativizer |
| Definition:
A subordinating conjunction that links a relative clause to its head noun. It differs from a relative pronoun in that it
doesn't have a nominal function within the relative clause.
Note: Not all languages use them: semitic languages do, most Indo-European languages use relative pronouns instead, and others, such as Japanese, use word order to indicate relative clauses. |
| Example:
In the Hausa phrase na ga mutumin da ya yi aikin, the da is a relativizer. It translates to I see the man RELATIVIZER he do
the work (i.e., I saw the man who did the work.)
Note: Despite translating it as who, da is not a relative pronoun: it is neither a pronoun, nor is it the subject of the relative clause. |
| Oxford English Dictionary: The word's first citation is from 1976: "Conditions of use of the relativizer morphemes." (Language & Lang. Behavior Abstr. X. 671/2) |