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    With finite clause
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    The high degree of an adjective can be specified by a finite clause, as in the following example:

    1
    De lêzing wie sa saai dat ik derby yn sliep foel
    the talk was so boring that I at.it in sleep fell
    The talk was so boring that I fell asleep during it
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    The high degree limit of an adjective can be specified by a finite clause, which is only true at or above the high degree limit. This is shown in the example below:

    2
    De lêzing wie sa saai dat ik derby yn sliep foel
    the talk was so boring that I at.it in sleep fell
    The talk was so boring that I fell asleep during it

    The combination of sa so plus adjective may also be followed by a finite clause with embedded Verb-Second. This construction has a different semantics. The finite clause does not specify the degree of the adjective but it mentions a consequence of the degree of the adjective:

    3
    De lêzing wie sa saai dat ik foel derby yn sliep
    the talk was so boring that I fell at.it in sleep
    The talk was so boring, I fell asleep during it

    The difference between the constructions can be brought out by omitting the word sa so. In that case, specification of the degree is no longer possible, since the degree marker sa so itself is absent. The following finite clause, however, is still possible, but it is now interpreted as a consequence of the property described by the adjective rather than of the degree of the property:

    4
    *De lêzing wie saai dat ik derby yn sliep foel
    the talk was boring that I at.it in sleep fell
    The talk was so boring, I fell asleep during it
    5
    De lêzing wie saai dat ik foel derby yn sliep
    the talk was boring that I fell at.it in sleep
    The talk was boring, so I fell asleep during it

    Clauses with embedded verb-second have the following properties (Germen J. de Haan (2010:115)):

    • general display of root phenomena
    • inability to occur in unambiguous non-root positions
    • obligatory occurrence outside and on the right-head edge of the matrix clause, that is, they cannot undergo topicalisation nor be contained in topicalisations
    • no binding from outside it
    • no extraction
    • intonation unit
    • independent focus domain

    These embedded verb-second clauses are discussed in embedded Verb-Second with and without complementiser.

    In an attributive construction, the finite clause must follow the noun. It may not intervene between the adjective and the noun, nor may it precede the adjective:

    6
    a. Sa'n saaie lêzing [datst yn sliep foelst] wie it doch net?
    such.a boring talk that.2SG in sleep fell.2SG was it but not
    But it was not such a dull lecture that you fell asleep, was it?
    b. *Sa'n saaie [datst yn sliep foelst] lêzing wie it doch net?
    such.a boring that.2SG in sleep fell.2SG talk was it but not
    But it was not such a dull lecture that you fell asleep, was it?
    c. *Sa'n [datst yn sliep foelst] saaie lêzing wie it doch niet?
    such.a that.2SG in sleep fell.2SG boring talk was it about not
    But it was not such a dull lecture that you fell asleep, was it?
    References
    • Haan, Germen J. de2010Studies in West Frisian Grammar. Selected papers by Germen J. de HaanLinguistik Aktuell/ Linguistics Today 161John Benjamins Publishing Company
    About this article
    Author(s): Eric Hoekstra, Joke Weening
    Category: Frisian Syntax
    Keywords: finite clauseembedded verb-second
    Version: 1.0, December 2015
    Version history:
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    1.0 Eric Hoekstra, Joke Weening December 2015
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