In 164, uttered in direct speech, the subordinate clause offers information that is situationally accessible to the listeners. The proposition in the subordinate clause in 165 is textually accessible to
the reader, because it was mentioned before that Handle was a relative. The proposition in the subordinate clause in 166 was mentioned before as well and is therefore textually accessible for the
reader. The subordinate clause in 167 offers unused information for the average Nyiha reader.
More data are needed to see if there is a difference between anaphoric and cataphoric mwe ̂-clauses
presenting hearer-old information.
4 Conclusion, recommendations and suggestions for further research
The aim of this paper was twofold. First, I discussed the syntax and semantics of relativization in Nyiha. Second, I analyzed the activation status of information in Nyiha relative constructions. In this section I
summarize my findings. I conclude with a brief discussion of the relevance of this research for Bible translation and some suggestions for further research.
4.1 The syntax and semantics of relativization in Nyiha
In section 2, I discussed the syntax and semantics of relativization in Nyiha. After outlining a theoretical framework in section 2.1, I discussed the canonical relative construction in section 2.2. The head of a
relative construction in Nyiha can be realized by a range of syntactic categories: examples were given of a common and a proper noun, a demonstrative and a personal pronoun, a subject and an object affix on
the verb and an adverb functioning as head. It is also possible that the head of a relative construction gets zero realization in the
MC
. Both the head of a relative construction in the
MC
and the relative pronoun in the
RC
can fill several grammatical functions as well: they can serve as a subject, an object, an indirect or oblique object, a possessive modifier and an adverbial adjunct.
Section 2.3 explored complex constructions. Evidence was given that both stacking and embedding are allowed techniques in the formation of relative constructions in Nyiha. I also gave examples of cleft
and pseudo-cleft constructions. Section 2.4 dealt with the difference between restrictive and non-restrictive relative constructions. I
discussed two differences between these two types of relative constructions in Nyiha: prosodyintonation and specificity. Non-restrictive constructions in Nyiha have a comma intonation following the head of
the construction, whereas restrictive relative constructions have one intonation contour for the head together with the
RC
. A second difference concerns the specificity of the head of a relative construction. As a rule, a non-restrictive
RC
has a specific head, whereas a restrictive
RC
has a head that is in itself unspecific, but specified in the restrictive
RC
. In section 2.5 I discussed four types of adverbial relative clauses in further detail.
4.2 Differences in the activation status of information in relative constructions
