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    Interpretation
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    Restrictive relative clauses restrict the denotation of the Noun Phrase (NP) to which the quantifier is applied. Non-restrictive relative clauses are appositions to the quantified NP as a whole. In some cases, a restrictive reading has the same extension (picks out the same individual(s)) as a non-restrictive reading. In other cases, a restrictive reading differs substantially from a non-restrictive reading.

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    The readings for a restrictive and a non-restrictive relative clause are clearly different with the universal quantifier alle all. Consider a sentence like the one below:

    1
    Alle learlingen dy't siik binne, moatte nei de dokter ta
    all pupils who ill are must to the physician POST
    All pupils who are ill must see a physician

    On a restrictive reading, only sick pupils must see a physician and pupils who are not ill, need not. On a non-restrictive reading, all pupils are sick pupils. A non-restrictive relative clause is therefore an apposition of the quantified NP as a whole. This is problematic in the case of negative quantifiers. As a result, a simple negative quantifier is usually associated with a restrictive reading on a following relative clause, as in the example below:

    2
    Gjin learling dy't sûn is, hoecht nei de dokter ta
    no pupil who healthy is needs to the physician PTC
    No pupil who is healthy needs to see a physician

    In order to obtain a non-restrictive interpretation, all values of the predicate of the relative clause must be quantified over. This can be done by the use of the disjunct of or:

    3
    Gjin learling, sûn of net, hoecht nei de dokter ta
    no pupil healthy or not needs to the physician PTC
    No pupil, healthy or not, needs to see a physician

    Note that such a quantification is incompatible with the use of a tensed relative clause:

    4
    *Gjin learling, dy't sûn of net sûn is, hoecht nei de dokter ta
    no pupil who healthy or not healthy is needs to the physician PTC
    No pupil who is healthy needs to see a physician

    A non-restrictive interpretation is signalledd in written language by the use of a comma at the beginning of the relative clause, mirroring an intonation break in spoken language.

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      About this article
      Author(s): Eric Hoekstra
      Category: Frisian Syntax
      Keywords: restrictive readingnon-restrictive reading
      Version: 1.0, December 2015
      Version history:
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      1.0 Eric Hoekstra December 2015
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