ABSTRACT
In the traditional Arab analysis adjectival clauses qualifying indef. nouns are
taxonomically the same as adjectives, and both are termed §ifa M>qµDGMHFWLYH¶FI 2.1), while clauses qualifying def. nouns are treated as adjuncts and thus termed
§ila MAq µDGMXQFW¶ OLW µDWWDFKPHQW¶ %RWKDUH µDGMHFWLYDOFODXVHV¶DQGZLOOEH VR referred to hereafter, but when appropriate they will also be termed more
JHQHUDOO\ µUHODWLYH FODXVHV¶ This will be necessary when dealing with the third category of relatives, those introduced by m¢ KµWKDWZKLFK¶DQGman hµKHZKR¶ which are exclusively nominal, a function which is shared by the syndetic rels
µDGMXQFW¶ZKLFKPD\EHHLWKHUDGMHFWLYDORUQRPLQal. The feature which determines the syntactic behaviour of both types of
adjectival rel. is definiteness, which combines with a/syndesis to produce the
IROORZLQJVWUXFWXUHVµKHDG¶ZLOOEHXVHGWKURXJKRXWLQSUHIHUHQFHWRµDQWHFHGHQW¶ in this chapter):
‡ Def. head + syndetic clause = relative structure:
µWKHPDQwho is talkingVDW¶
‡ Def. head + asyndetic clause = circumstantial qual. (see 7.3):
jalasa l-rajulu yataúadda¨u ŸWfY›[A µWKHPDQVDWtalking¶
‡ Indef. head + asyndetic clause = either rel. or circum. qual.:
jalasa rajulun yataúadda¨u ŸWf¥[A HLWKHUµDPDQZKRLVWDONLQJVDW¶RUPRUHFRPPRQO\ µDPDQVDWtalking¶FI7.3.1
structure of the type:
*jalasa rajulun-i llaÄ¥ yataúadda¨u ŸW»X›f¥[A µDPDQWKHRQHZKRWDONHGVDW¶
as a def. adjunct clause cannot qualify an indef. head (even if such a structure
may appear possible in a translation).
