interrogativerelative

Interrogative relative, often called a wh-relative clause, is a type of relative clause that contains an interrogative element and serves to identify or specify its antecedent. The key feature is that the clause uses a wh-word such as who, what, which, where, when, or how to pose a question about the identity or properties of the noun phrase being modified. In this sense, the embedded content has an interrogative force, while the overall structure remains a relative clause.

In English, a typical interrogative relative clause is formed by placing a wh-word in the embedded clause and linking it to the head noun in the main clause. The wh-word may function as the subject or the object within the embedded clause. Examples include: the person who called yesterday, the book which you lent me, and the place where I grew up. The wh-element commonly moves from its original position inside the relative clause to a position at the front of that clause, leaving a gap that corresponds to the antecedent being described.

Cross-linguistic variation is common. Some languages use a dedicated relative pronoun, others rely on zero relatives or explicit nominalizers. In many languages the wh-word keeps interrogative properties within the relative clause, while in others its interrogativity may be expressed through agreement, particles, or word order rather than a distinct pronoun. Overall, interrogative relative clauses provide a way to characterize an antecedent by asking about its identity or attributes within a single, integrated clause.