SIL International Publications

This paper deals with relative constructions in Nyiha, a Bantu language of southwestern Tanzania (M23). It is divided into two parts: first, the syntax and semantics of relativization in Nyiha is discussed. The syntactic and functional possibilities and constraints in the formation of RCs are explored. Some complex constructions are analyzed and special attention is given to the difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses and to adverbial relative clauses. Second, the activation status of information in relative constructions in eight Nyiha stories is analyzed. Three observations, obtained from the relevant literature, are examined. The first observation is that restrictive relative clauses usually do not contain brand-new information. This observation is shown to be true for Nyiha. The second observation is that, if a restrictive relative clause does contain brand-new information, the head of the relative clause is established information. This is shown to be not true for Nyiha. In the text corpus, when a restrictive relative clause conveys brand-new information, the head of the relative construction is often brand new as well. The third observation examined is that non-restrictive relative clauses usually contain brand-new information. This observation is shown to be true for Nyiha. Finally, the activation status of information in two types of adverbial relative clauses and their position with respect to the main clause is examined. The paper concludes with some recommendations for (Bible) translation and suggestions for further research.