| 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.