A Typological Analysis of Relativization Strategies Driven by Corpus Data: On Cross-Linguistic Features of Semantic and Syntactic Gaps

Previous studies on relativization strategies often treat semantic and syntactic gaps in isolation, neglecting their inherent connections. This paper employs a corpus-driven approach from a typological perspective, utilizing cross-linguistic questionnaires for native speakers and large-scale corpus investigations to analyze the characteristics of semantic and syntactic gaps in English and Chinese relative clauses. The findings reveal that while both languages share a double-headed structure, semantic gaps belong to deep structure and syntactic gaps to surface structure. Due to typological differences, Chinese—with its flexible word order and morphological constraints—tends to employ semantic gaps. In contrast, English, constrained by animacy, mood, and other factors, resorts to semantic gaps only in specific contexts, predominantly relying on syntactic gaps. This study not only clarifies differences in relativization between English and Chinese but also provides cross-linguistic and corpus-based support for the theoretical hypothesis of “semantic gap primacy” in English and Chinese, contributing to advancements in linguistic typology.