Relativization in Arabic, Chinese, and English: Syntactic Contrast and Pedagogical Insights within the Accessibility Hierarchy Framework
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33806/ijaes1192Keywords:
accessibility hierarchy, Arabic, Chinese, contrastive syntax, English, relative clausesAbstract
This study examines the patterns of relativization in three typologically distinct languages, Arabic, Chinese and English, within the context of the Accessibility Hierarchy (AH) proposed by Keenan and Comrie (1977). The paper identifies both convergent and divergent structural patterns by comparing the encoding of relativization in the two languages across different syntactic positions (subject, object, genitive, and others), with critical implications for second language acquisition and translation research (Eckman 2007; Albikri and Jarrah 2022). Based on prior studies, the analysis focuses on the role of resumptive pronouns, the gap within the clause, as well as the order of the head and the modifier in languages with varying typological features. Chinese relativization employs prenominal, gapless structures, which can be achieved with 的 (Lu and Chen 2008; Chang 2023). In contrast, overt syntactic gaps and rearrangements are typically obligatory in Arabic (Albikri and Jarrah 2022). The paper concludes that the correspondence and discrepancy of the relative clause construction with the postulated hierarchy provide new information about functional syntax, cross-linguistic transfer and the instructional and translational practice applicable to teaching and translation.
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