What is a reference clause?

Definition
	Here are two senses of a reference clause:
	A reference clause is a clause with an argument that, in a marking clause elsewhere in the sentence, is signaled as being coreferential or not to the argument of the marking clause. In a language having a switch reference system, a reference clause is a clause with an argument, which is typically the subject.

Generic
	A reference clause is a kind of
	What is a clause?

Source
	Haiman and Munro 1983 ix–xiii

Context for this page:

Concept module: reference clause
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): R
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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