The Hindi correlative as an overtly pronounced index

Abstract

One of the main defining features of the Hindi correlative construction is the necessity of a demonstrative correlate in the main clause. While previous research has done much to distinguish the correlative from other relativizing structures, such as the postnominal relative clause, it is still unclear what the relationship between the demonstrative and correlative clause is. In order to understand how the correlative clause enters the syntax, it is important to look at the internal structure and the semantic contribution of the demonstrative. In this paper, I will show that the correlative is an overtly pronounced index of the demonstrative, and therefore an argument of the demonstrative rather than adjoined to it. The semantic contribution of the demonstrative itself remain the same.