subordinatelike

Subordinatelike is a term sometimes used in linguistics to describe constructions that express a subordinate relation—embedding, dependency, or clause-level meaning—without qualifying as a standard subordinate clause. It serves as a label for phenomena that resemble subordination in function or semantics but do not fit a single, uniform formal category.

In practice, subordinatelike phenomena cover a range of forms. These include non-finite embedded clauses such as infinitival complements, participial or gerundial phrases that function as modifiers or arguments, and reduced relative clauses that convey clause-like information without a full syntactic clause. Some languages employ clausal or phrase-level devices—such as mood markers or complementizer-like particles—that signal subordination without introducing an overt, full subordinate clause. The common thread is that these forms contribute to a hierarchical or license-like relationship between elements, much as subordinate clauses do, yet their surface syntax or morphosyntactic properties set them apart from canonical subordinate clauses.

The term is informal and its usage varies among scholars. It is most often invoked to facilitate cross-linguistic comparison of embedded or subordinate-semantics in languages with diverse syntactic architectures, or to describe constructions that appear functionally subordinate but diverge from standard definitions. Because of its broad and flexible scope, subordinatelike is typically defined contextually within a given analysis rather than as a fixed category with a single set of criteria.

See also: subordination, complement clause, non-finite clause, reduced relative clause, participial phrase.