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    Extraction of prepositional complements
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    In Afrikaans, when a prepositional complement is extracted from an adposition phrase (PP) directly contained within a noun phrase (NP), it results in a semantically marked construction, in other words into a construction with the grammaticality of which is questionable. In the first example below the preposition van of cannot be extracted from the R-pronoun wie who, and in the second example the preposition van of cannot be extracted from the pronoun waar where.

    1
    a. ?Die skilder wat ek 'n skildery van het.
    that painter that.REL I a painting of have.PRS
    The painter that I have a painting of
    b. Die skilder van wie ek 'n skildery het.
    the painter of who I a painting have.PRS
    The painter of whom I have a painting
    2
    a. ?Die appel wat ek die skil van eet.
    the apple that.REL I the peel of eat
    the apple of which I'm eating the peel.
    b. Die appel waarvan ek die skil eet.
    the appel REL.of I the peel eat
    The apple of which I'm eating the peel.
    c. *Die appel waar ek die skil van eet.
    the apple where I the peel of eat
    The apple of which I'm eating the peel.
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    Prepositional complements in Afrikaans cannot be extracted from PPs that seem to be directly contained in NPs. Although examples of the extraction of prepositional complements can be found in a historical corpus of written Afrikaans in 1911-1920 (see example below), no further or later examples of prepositional extraction from a PP could be found in any corpus of written Afrikaans. The possibility to extract prepositional complements from PPs, seems to have fallen into disuse from around the middle of the 20th century, together with the disappearance of die the as relative pronoun (Kirsten 2016:222). Furthermore, in the example below, the extraction occurs with the pronoun waar where, and not wat what, as in the first examples provided.

    3
    Sprenkel elke drie maande 'n bietjie terpentijn in laaie of kiste waar wol klere in gehou word.
    sprinkle every three months a little turpentine in drawers or chests where wool clothes in hold.PASS become.AUX.PASS.PRS
    Every three months, sprinkle a little bit of turpentine in drawers and chests in which cloths are kept.
    HCSA, 1911-1920, Informative
    References
    • Kirsten, J2016Grammatikale verandering in Afrikaans van 1911-2010.Thesis
    About this article
    Author(s): Adri Breed; Johanita Kirsten
    Category: Afrikaans Syntax
    Keywords: PPextraction
    Version: 1.0, May 2020
    Version history:
    version editor(s) date remarks
    1.0 Adri Breed; Johanita Kirsten May 2020
    This is a beta version.
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