ABSTRACT
Relative clauses are complex adjectival constructions that modify noun phrases. The most typical type of relative clause is non-finite and contains one of the participle suffixes. The noun of the noun phrase that a relative clause modifies, that is, the head noun, can have one of several different relationships with the relative clause. Restrictive relative clauses express a limitation on the reference of the noun they modify and thus have an identifying function. In Turkish the typical usage of a relative clause with a participle suffix is restrictive. Headless relative clauses are constructions where the head noun that a relative clause modifies is omitted from the sentence, because the referent of the relative clause is either clear from previous mention, or is essentially self-identifying. Such clauses correspond to expressions such as 'the one(s) that', 'the person who', 'those who', 'what', 'anything that' and so on.
