Editing Relative clause (section)

====Celtic languages====
{{See also|Irish syntax#Relative clauses|Welsh syntax#Relative clauses}}
The [[Celtic languages]] (at least the modern [[Insular Celtic languages]]) distinguish two types of relative clause: direct relative clauses and indirect relative clauses. A direct relative clause is used where the relativized element is the subject or the direct object of its clause (e.g. "the man ''who'' saw me", "the man ''whom'' I saw"), while an indirect relative clause is used where the relativized element is a genitival (e.g. "the man ''whose'' daughter is in the hospital") or is the object of a preposition (e.g. "the man ''to whom'' I gave the book"). Direct relative clauses are formed with a [[relative pronoun]] (unmarked for case) at the beginning; a gap (in terms of syntactic theory, a [[trace (linguistics)|trace]], indicated by (''t)'' in the examples below) is left in the relative clause at the pronoun's expected position.

;Irish
{{interlinear|indent=3|abbreviations=DIR:direct
| an fear a chonaic (t) mé
| the man DIR-REL saw {} me
| "the man who saw me"}}

;Welsh
{{interlinear|indent=3|abbreviations=DIR:direct
| y dyn a welais
| the man DIR-REL {I saw}
| "the man whom I saw"}}

The direct relative particle "a" is not used with "mae" ("is") in Welsh; instead the form "sydd" or "sy'" is used:

{{interlinear|indent=3|abbreviations=DIR:direct
| y dyn sy'n blewog iawn
| the man {DIR-REL + is} hairy very
| "the man who is very hairy"}}

There is also a defective verb "piau" (usually lenited to "biau"), corresponding to "who own(s)":

{{interlinear|indent=3|abbreviations=DIR:direct
| y dyn piau castell anferth
| the man {DIR-REL + owns} castle huge 
| "the man who owns a huge castle"}}

Indirect relative clauses are formed with a [[relativizer]] at the beginning; the relativized element remains ''in situ'' in the relative clause.

;Irish
{{interlinear|indent=3|abbreviations=IND:indirect
| an fear a bhfuil a iníon san ospidéal
| the man IND-REL is his daughter {in the} hospital
| "the man whose daughter is in the hospital"}}
;Welsh
{{interlinear|indent=3|abbreviations=IND:indirect
| y dyn y rhois y llyfr iddo
| the man IND-REL {I gave} the book {to him}
| "the man to whom I gave the book"}}

Although both the Irish relative pronoun and the relativizer are 'a', the relative pronoun triggers lenition of a following consonant, while the relativizer triggers eclipsis (see [[Irish initial mutations]]).

Both direct and indirect relative particles can be used simply for emphasis, often in answer to a question or as a way of disagreeing with a statement. For instance, the Welsh example above, "y dyn a welais" means not only "the man whom I saw", but also "it was the man (and not anyone else) I saw"; and "y dyn y rhois y llyfr iddo" can likewise mean "it was the man (and not anyone else) to whom I gave the book".