Interrogativerelatival

Interrogativerelatival is a term used in linguistics to describe a relative clause that contains an interrogative element, typically a wh-word, and functions to identify which member of a set is being referred to. In this construction the interrogative content is embedded inside a relative structure, often serving to constrain the reference of the head noun.

In English, interrogativerelativals are commonly illustrated by phrases like the book which you bought or which you bought, where the wh-word helps specify the exact book in question. The relative clause provides information that limits the possible referents of the head noun, effectively combining the notions of identification and description within a single clause.

Cross-linguistically, interrogativerelativals show variation in how the wh-word is realized and positioned, how it agrees with case or gender, and whether the form is fused with the relative pronoun or realized as separate elements. Some languages favor fronted wh-words that move to Clause-initial positions, while others maintain wh-elements in place within the relative clause. The precise mechanism—movement, deletion, agreement, or linear order—differs across languages, reflecting broader patterns of wh-formation and relative clauses.

Functionally, interrogativerelativals serve to pick out a specific entity from a known set by posing an embedded question inside the relative structure. They are a key topic in the study of embedded questions, wh-movement, and relative clause typology, illustrating how languages encode specification and reference within complex noun phrases.

See also: relative clause, wh-question, embedded question, wh-relatives, typology of clauses.