Complex variability and difficulty processing Yoruba relativisers and the relative clause

Abstract

The nature of the form, function, meaning and interpretation of relativisers and relative clause structures in Yoruba language is clearly missing in the mainstream literature showing how we map meaning from form and function. This article provides the initial comprehensive outline of the relativisers in Yoruba, the complex mechanism involved in mapping meaning and function from various forms of relativisers in the language. The article then goes on to show that there is an asymmetrical relation between the different variants of the Yoruba relativisers and the internal structure, meaning and interpretation of the ensuing relative clauses. The article thus provides a catalogue of the variability of underlying uses, alternation and combinatory patterning of certain relativisers such as ti, to, ta, eyi and eleyii, including how such issues relate to the development of a varying degree of difficulty accessing and processing the relative clauses. Among other things. the article shows a diverse way of accounting for the variability in the relativiser/relative clause, arguing that the relativiser and relative clauses in Yoruba cannot be processed as those in English. It is argued that relativisers and relative clauses are more pragmatic than semantic, and inherently context-dependent, together with strong relations to intuition for disambiguation and accessibility.