Morphosyntax Constructions of the World's Languages

Complement clause constructions express an event that functions as a participant in another event -- expressed as the complement and the complement-taking predicate (CTP), respectively. Complement clause constructions often differ depending on the type of CTP, and sometimes by the factivity (epistemic stance) of the complement event. Semantic types of CTPs form a hierarchy, the Binding Hierarchy, in terms of whether their complement will be expressed by a balanced or deranked dependent clause construction. Balanced complement clause constructions may originate in independent clauses, particularly direct speech complements, and spread down the Binding Hierarchy; some deranked complement clauses originate in purpose adverbial clause constructions. Complement clauses may share participants with the CTP event; this is inherent to CTP meaning at the lower end of the Binding Hierarchy, which includes TAMP forms. The argument structure constructions associated with complement clause constructions may reflect sharing of participants through partially or fully merged argument structure strategies, or via logophoric constructions.