Complementizer
| More on this in the refgram |
|---|
| Syntax: Complementizer phrases |
A complementizer is a word that starts a clause, like (ꝡa) or (mä) or (ꝡë).
In Toaq, main clauses start with a complementizers in 
, whereas subordinate clauses start with complementizer in 
. The complementizers are:
| Type | Main clause | Subclause | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Declarative or wh-question | (ꝡa) | (ꝡä) | "that" |
| Yes-no question | (ma) | (mä) | "whether" |
| Degree question | (tıo) | (tïo) | "how (much)" |
| Restrictive relative clause | (ꝡë) | "which" | |
| Non-restrictive relative clause | (jü) | "which" | |
| Property / lambda clause | (lä) | "λ" |
Null complementizers
English doesn't really have an equivalent of (ꝡa): you can't say something like *That I like this book. in the main clause. But in Toaq, it's perfectly normal to say (Ꝡa cho jí ní kue.) The word (ꝡa) acts as a sentence fence.
Conversely, English allows for a "null complementizer" in a subclause: instead of I know that you like this book, you can say I know you like this book. In Toaq, this is not allowed: you must say (Dua jí, ꝡä cho súq ní kue). Only the declarative main-clause complementizer (ꝡa) is optional.