CHAT: Relative Clauses (was CHAT: Religions (was: Visible planets))

Adam Walker wrote:
>
> I've been meaning to ask you how you handle relative
> clauses in Kemrese since, IIRC, it is VSO like the
> current version of C-a.

The natlang Malagasy is VOS.  Relative clauses are
introduced with "izay."  The restriction is that the headword
must serve as the subject of the relative clause:

Nahita  ny  vehivavy  izay  nanasa  ny  zaza  Rajaona.
(saw  the  woman  that  washed  the  child  John)
John saw the woman who washed the child.

To say "John saw the child whom the woman washed,"
the verb in the relative clause is changed to a passive,
"John saw the child who was washed by the woman":

Nahita  ny  zaza  izay  nosasan  ny  vehivavy  Rajaona.
(saw  the  child  that  was-washed-by  the  woman  John)

(The "n" on the end of "nosasan" is a genitive marker
which is necessary when a noun agent of a passive verb
is specified.)

--Ph. D.