Headless relative clauses are the dominant or only form of relative clause

Category
Simple Clauses - Predication
Notes
Relative clauses that form a constituent with a head noun (in a single noun phrase) are rare or nonexistent; some descriptions may refer to adjoined or correlative clauses.

Languages

Language Feature Status Grammatical Notes Source Etymology Notes General Notes Phylogenetic Code
Cahuilla
Cupeño
Luiseño
Serrano
Kitanemuk
Kawaiisu
Timbisha
Western Mono
Chemehuevi
Southern Paiute
Southern Ute
Shoshone
Comanche
Idaho Shoshone
Northern Paiute
Gabrielino
Achagua no Wilson & Levinsohn 1992: 143
Resígaro no Relative clauses can modify an overt NP in the main clause. Allin, 1976: 362 (footnote 47)
Bare no Aikhenvald, 1995: 47
Piapoco yes Galindo notes that this is "the" way that Piapoco forms relative clauses. Galindo, 2002: 341-342
Yukuna no Shauer & Shauer, 1978: p. 28
Yavitero no Mosonyi, 1987: p. 94
Wapishana no Santos 2006
Wayuu no Mansen & Captain, 2000: p. 799
Tariana no Aikhenvald, 2003: 537
Apurinã no No discussion of how relatively common headed and headless relative clauses are, but much more space is given to headed relative clauses. Facundes, 2000: 561, 583-585
Asheninka Apurucayali no Payne 1981:1738; Payne 1983:130140
Maipure no Zamponi 2003:37-47
Yanesha' no Duff-Tripp 1997:206-17
Kinikinau no info
Baure yes Danielsen 2007:398
Nanti no Although headless clauses do exist, they only pop up as a subtype of ranked relative clauses, and only when the referent is easily recoverable. Michael, 2008. p. 410
Paresi no info Rowan 1978, Rowan and Burgess 1979, Brandão 2010
Palikur no info Launey 2003
Yine no info Matteson 1965
Añun no info Patte 1989
Bora no Seifart - 2005:70-71
Makiritare no info Hall 1988: 351-352
Makushi no Abbott 1991: 71
Eñepa no info
Pemon no info most likely not
Guna no Smith texts
Naso no Quesada 2000
Ika no info more likely not Frank 19885:130-3
Kogi no info
Cabecar no info
Guaymí no Quesada 2008:173-5
Damana no Williams 1993:149-54
Sikuani yes de Kondo (Vol.1,2) - 1985; Queixalós - 2000:2-25
Macaguan no info Buenaventura - 1993
Aguaruna no Overall 2007:253-5
Northern Emberá no Internally headed relative clauses are the most common Mortensen 1999:127 Catío
Waorani no info
Ingá no info
Matses no info
Mapudungun no info
Páez no info
Quechua Ayacuchano no info
Tikuna no info
Urarina no Olawsky:320
Waunana no info
Andoke no info
Puinave no info
Central Aymara no Huayhua Pari 2001: 304
Kakua no info Bolaños fieldnotes
Kaingang no info Silva 2011
Minica Witoto no Minor and Minor 1982. p.95-96
Hup no Epps 2008
Nadëb/Roçado dialect yes Weir 1984:63
Dâw no info Martins 2004
Desano yes Miller 1999, p.145
Cubeo no they more oftenly occure in NPs without any overt head noun Morse & Maxwell 1999, p. 152
Kotiria no info unclear; depends on whether one considers RCs headed by a classifier to be headless Stenzel 2004
Makuna no Smothermon & Smothermon 1993, p.41-42
Koreguaje no Cook & Criswell 1993, p.41
Barasano no Jones & Jones 1991, p.149
Tanimuca no Strom 1992, p.151
Siona no Not the only form of a relative clause, but dominant. Wheeler - 1987:117-118
Tukano no it's hard to tell which strategy is dominant, but it doesn't appear that this strategy is clearly more used than RCs with heads Ramirez 1997: 279-285
Yanomami no Ramirez 1994 no examples of this
Ninam no Goodwin-Gomez, p. 131-132
Sanumá no Borgman 1990: 133
Surui no info
Karitiana no info
Nheengatu no Cruz 2011
Paraguayan Guaraní no Krivoshein and Acosta 2001:152-9
Aché no info
Kokama no Vallejos 2010
Nyangumarta no 0
Jingulu no 0
Wambaya no 0
Bunuba no 0
Walmajarri no info x
Nyulnyul no info x
Warrwa no info x
Worrorra no? ms17.1.1.i 0
Garrwa no info X
Gooniyandi no info x
Warlpiri no n240, n60 0
Bardi no 0
Yugambeh
Yorta Yorta no info x
Yir Yoront
Yindjibarndi no 183 0
Yidiny yes 1
Yanyuwa n/a 0
Yandruwandha no info x
Yan-nhangu
Yalarnnga no info x
Woiwurrung no info x
Wirangu No info x
Wemba-Wemba no info x
Warumungu No 58 0
Wangkumara no info X
Uradhi No 378 0
Paakantyi no info X
Pitta-Pitta No 216 0
Pintupi no info x
Nyungar no info x
Nhanta yes 130-131 1
Ngiyambaa no 294-301 0
Ngayawang No info x
Muruwari no info x
Mpakwithi
Mayi-Yapi No 72-73 0
Martuthunira no 241-243 0
Marrgany No info x
Kuuk Thaayorre No 533 0
Kuku Yalanji no info 181 x
Kugu-Nganhcara No 430 0
Kaurna No info x
Kalkatungu no 111 0
Jaru no info x
Guugu-Yimidhirr No info x
Gureng Gureng no info x
Gupapuyngu
Gumbaynggirr no 361 0
Gugu-Badhun no info x
Yuwaalaraay No 113 0
Dyirbal No 99 0
Duungidjawu no 104 0
Djinang No 207 0
Djabugay
Diyari no 207 0
Dharuk
Dharawal no info x
Darkinyung no info x
Bularnu n/a 0
Biri no 61 0
Bidjara-Gungabula no info x
Batyala no info x
Arabana yes 267 1
Alyawarr no 135 0
Nyikina no 0
Yawuru
Ngarinyin
Yulparija no info x
Wathawurrung no info x
Mathi-Mathi no info x
Hunter River and Lake Macquarie no info x
Thanggati no 69-70 0
Katthang no info x
Panyjima no 198 0
Ngarinyeri No 32 0
Kurrama no 227-231 0
Yingkarta no info x
Githabul No info x
Gunya No info x
Kunjen No 56 0
WesternTorres no FO 133 0
Wakaya yes 240 1
Yindjilindji no info x
Bandjalang No 122 0
Ngaatjatjara No 114 0
Arrernte No 317 0
Kokatha no info 33 x
Karajarri No 389 0
Pitjantjatjara No G 154, 158 0
Ritharrngu No 111 0
Warrgamay No 73 0
Warluwarra no info x
Warnman no info x
Djapu no? 136-7 0
Bilinarra no info x
Wiradjuri no info x
Aghu-Tharnggala No 73 0
Narungga No info x
Tharrkari No 53 0
Wajarri No 113 0
Warungu no info X
Adnyamathanha
Yagua no only possible when coreferential with a previous NP in the discourse Payne and Payne 1990:346
Baniwa no info Ramirez 2001