On relative clauses in Maltese

Abstract

This work synthesises the literature that makes reference to the relative clause in Maltese, and shows that the relative clause is not a homogeneous structure in the language. Three types of clauses are discussed: restrictive relatives, non-restrictive relatives and free relatives. These come along with their individual constraints both on the antecedent (when available) and on the different strategies they employ. A clear divide between the Standard and dialectal Maltese is shown to exist in the employment of the pronominal strategy, at least in non-free relative clause structures. The discussion also reveals how the availability of complementiser-headed free relatives in Maltese constitutes a rare typological occurrence. This overview of our current knowledge on Maltese relative clauses lays bare what gaps exist in the Maltese relativisation system and how these gaps get circumvented via other means in the grammar. It further allows us to better evaluate certain behaviours whilst pinpointing what additional work still needs to be done on the subject.