Complex syntactic constructions in Russian Sign Language and Sign Language of the Netherlands A study of complement and relative clauses

This thesis explores syntactic complexity in Russian Sign Language (RSL) and Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT), focusing on complement clauses and relative clauses. Using a combination of corpus analysis and experimental methods such as elicitation and acceptability judgments, the study examines these structures in depth. Complement clauses in both RSL and NGT exhibit distinctions in word order flexibility, with control complements allowing varied embedded clause ordering and full propositional complements mandating specific sequential placement after the matrix verb. RSL further distinguishes its complement clauses through morphosyntactic markers like subject agreement and explicit complementizers. Both languages adhere to the Implicational Complementation Hierarchy, validating its relevance across different linguistic modalities.
In the realm of relative clauses, similarities and differences emerge. The indexical sign IX serves as a relative clause introducer in both languages, positioned either initially or finally within the clause, sometimes exhibiting double exponence. RSL additionally employs the relativizer WHICH, which shows comparable distribution patterns. Notably, while RSL displays diverse head noun positions within relative clause constructions, NGT typically places the head noun at the start of the clause, though a definitive analysis of NGT relative clauses is still pending. This research contributes to understanding how syntactic complexity manifests in sign languages, highlighting both universal principles and language-specific features in complement and relative clause structures.