On Agreement of Urdu Relative Clauses

Abstract

This study investigates the syntactic architecture of Urdu relative clauses utilizing a mixed-methods approach. The study assimilates a corpus-based analysis with Kayne’s (1994) model. Accumulating naturally occurring Urdu data, this study categorizes relative clauses into subject relative clause, object relative clause, ergative relative clause, agentive relative clause, postpositional relative clause, and locative relative clause types, each introduced by distinct relativizers such as jo, jise, jinhon, jin se, and jahan. The results show that relativizers in Urdu are morphologically marked for number, gender, case, and function as probes that agree with their corresponding goals—particularly the head noun or embedded clause constituents. The study illustrates the role of ergative alignment in perfective structure, the syntactic integration of postpositional and locative relativizers, which encode relational and spatial semantics within clausal structures. This study demonstrates how relative clauses serve to discourse-level functions such as topicalization, focus, referential, and specificity. However, the findings suggest that Urdu employs a complex relativization strategy, equating typological properties in Indo-Aryan languages—Punjabi, Pashto, Persian, and Sanskrit—with principles of universal grammar. The study implicates second language pedagogy, computational parsing, and typological comparison, providing insights into clause accessibility, feature inheritance, and movement operations.