Conditionalthat

Conditionalthat is a term used in linguistics to denote a proposed conditional construction in which the antecedent clause is a that- clause rather than an if- clause. The label is used in theoretical discussions to explore how natural language encodes conditional relations and how the form of the antecedent affects interpretation and processing. Conditionalthat is not part of standard grammar and remains a niche topic in syntax and semantics.

In conditionalthat constructions, the antecedent is a finite clause introduced by that, followed by a main clause expressing the consequent. For example: Conditionalthat you arrive on time, the meeting will start. Conditionalthat the weather improves, the outdoor event proceeds as planned. These examples illustrate a hypothetical labeling device rather than widely attested spoken forms.

Semantics and pragmatics: The construction is argued to share the truth-conditional core with if-conditionals but may carry different emphasis, with the antecedent framed as a proposition rather than a hypothetical scenario. The practical uses are limited; most references treat conditionalthat as a theoretical device for exploring alternating ways of marking conditionals and for cross-linguistic comparison.

History and reception: The term gained use in a small set of papers and discussions during the 2010s and onward. It has not become standard in grammars or corpora, and there is ongoing debate about whether it names a genuine syntactic phenomenon or serves mainly as a convenient analytical label for certain conditional patterns observed in helper languages or experimental data.

See also: Conditional clause, Complementizer, Hypothetical mood.