Relatiivklausid

Relatiivklausid, also known as relative clauses, are a grammatical construction found in many languages that provide additional information about a noun or pronoun. They function as adjectives, modifying the word they refer to, which is called the antecedent. Typically, relative clauses are introduced by a relative pronoun, such as "kes," "mis," "kelle," "mille" in Estonian, or "who," "which," "that," "whose" in English. These pronouns link the subordinate clause to the main clause.

The information provided by a relative clause can be essential for identifying the antecedent, in which case it is known as a restrictive relative clause. For example, "The book that I read was interesting." Here, "that I read" specifies which book is being discussed. Alternatively, relative clauses can offer supplementary, non-essential information, functioning as non-restrictive clauses. These are often set off by commas. For instance, "My brother, who lives in Tallinn, is visiting next week." The clause "who lives in Tallinn" provides extra detail but is not crucial for identifying the brother. The structure and usage of relative clauses can vary significantly between languages, impacting sentence complexity and clarity.