3.4.2.2. Position of the relativization sign
In LSC the relativization sign may appear in two possible positions, namely at the end (after the relative clause) or at the beginning (before the relative clause). The preference for these two distributions depends on the position of the relative construction, which may be preposed and postposed to the matrix clause. If the relative construction is preposed, the sign self tends to appear in final position. If the relative construction is postposed the sign self appears in initial position.
rel
a) yesterday stick buy self girla grandfatherbaofferb.
‘The girl offered the grandfather the stick we bought yesterday.’
(© Marta Mosella 2012. Reprinted with permission from Mosella, 2012: 178)
rel
b) girla grandfatherbaofferb self yesterday stick buy.
‘The girl offered the grandfather the stick we bought yesterday.’
(© Marta Mosella 2012. Reprinted with permission from Mosella, 2012: 178)
The relativization sign may also appear doubled in both initial and final position.
rel
self yesterday boy street sleep cl(T): ‘human lying down’ self one apple 3ask1.
‘The boy that yesterday was sleeping in the street asked me for an apple.’
(© Marta Mosella 2012. Reprinted with permission from Mosella, 2012: 180)
However, they have different functions. In the example below self occurs twice: as a determiner of the relativized noun phrase (marked in italics) and as a relativization sign (marked in bold).
rel
yesterday boy self street sleep cl (T): ‘human lying down’ self one apple 3ask1.
‘The boy that yesterday was sleeping in the street asked me for an apple.’
(© Marta Mosella 2012. Reprinted with permission from Mosella, 2012: 182)