[徵稿] International Conference on Adverbial Clauses
* October 23–24, 2025: fifth international conference on adverbial clauses:
Adverbial clauses as relative clauses: Old question, new answers
* March 9–10, 2026: sixth international conference on adverbial clauses:
Adverbial clauses: New Horizons
* March 12–13, 2026: international workshop on Adverbial clauses and prosody
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https://linguistlist.org/issues/36/2284/
5th International Conference on Adverbial Clauses
Theme: Adverbial clauses as relative clauses: Old questions, new answers
Date: 23-Oct-2025 - 24-Oct-2025
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Contact: ukasz Jdrzejowski
Contact Email: lukasz.jedrzejowski@uia.no
Meeting URL: https://www.lukasz-jedrzejowski.eu/adverbial-clauses-2/
Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics; Historical Linguistics; Semantics;
Syntax
Submission Deadline: 20-Sep-2025
Meeting Description:
Subordinate clauses are among the most prominent linguistic phenomena
illustrating the capacity of a computational mechanism to generate recursive
structures. A central question in this domain is whether all subordination
strategies can be reduced to a single abstract structure. This issue has
inspired several productive lines of inquiry. One influential hypothesis is
that complement clauses, particularly those embedded under factive predicates,
may be analyzed as a subtype of (co-)relative clauses (cf. Aboh 2005; Kayne
2008, 2010; Arsenijevi 2009; Krapova 2010, among others).
Building on these insights, recent synchronic research has extended similar
structural analyses to adverbial clause linkage. A growing number of studies
suggest that many adverbial clauses exhibit key syntactic features
traditionally associated with (co-)relative clauses. This challenges the long-
standing binary distinction between relative and adverbial clause types (cf.
Geis 1970; Larson 1985, 1990, 2016; Geis & Lycan 1993; Donati 1997; Bhatt &
Pantcheva 2006; Kayne 2008; Haegeman 2010; Hall & Caponigro 2010; Arsenijevi
2021, among many others). From a diachronic perspective, individual case
studies provide further support for this view. For instance, Axel-Tober (2012)
traces the development of temporal "da"-clauses in German to (co )relative
origins, while Sanfelici & Rodeghiero (2024) offer a similar account for
causal "siccome"-clauses in Italian.
Despite these converging lines of evidence, recent work has raised critical
questions about the validity and explanatory power of these analyses. De Cuba
(2017, 2023) argues that many (co )relative clause analyses lack detailed
syntactic elaboration and are often driven more by theoretical considerations
than empirical necessity. He underscores the fundamental differences between
complement clauses and relative clauses, noting that the former do not involve
operator movement and differ in their use of complementizers, the possibility
of complementizer omission, agreement patterns, and the licensing of main
clause phenomena. Similar critiques have been leveled against the analysis of
adverbial clauses as (co-)relative structures. Adverbial clauses, in contrast
to relative clauses, are typically found in peripheral positions, show no
clear evidence of operator movement, do not give rise to the same island
effects, and are not characterized by obligatory gaps (cf. Cinque 2008;
Haegeman 2012). Moreover, while Heine and Kuteva (2002, 2007) document cases
in which adverbial subordinators such as when, because, or if develop from
relative clause structures, they also show that in many languages, these forms
arise from other sources, including speech act verbs, discourse markers,
nominalized verbs, and aspectual constructions.
Against this backdrop, the main aim of the conference is to bring together
recent theoretical and experimental research exploring the analysis of
adverbial clauses as (co-)relative structures from both synchronic and
diachronic perspectives. By revisiting this long-standing question, we hope to
contribute novel theoretical insights into the extent to which a (co-)
relative clause analysis can account for the syntactic and semantic properties
of adverbial subordination.
The international conference "Adverbial clauses as relative clauses: Old
questions, new answers" is organized as part of the scientific network
Adverbial Clauses and Subordinate Dependency Relationships, funded by the
German Science Foundation (grant number 455700544) and granted to ukasz J
drzejowski. The network is currently led by Andreas Pankau. The conference
will be hosted by the Institut für Germanistik at the University of Hamburg
on October 23-24, 2025, and is organized by Stefan Hinterwimmer and ukasz J
drzejowski.
Invited Speakers (all confirmed):
Boban Arsenijevi (University of Graz)
David Pesetsky (MIT)
Emanuela Sanfelici (University of Padova)
David Willis (University of Oxford)
Call for Papers:
Topics for the conference include, but are not limited to, the following
questions:
– To what extent can adverbial clauses be uniformly analyzed as (co-)relative
structures across different syntactic environments and languages? Does this
analysis account for all types of adverbial clauses? What are the limits of
such an approach? In what ways do the structures of adverbial clauses overlap
with those of (co-)relative clauses?
– In what ways do the distributional properties and structural positions of
adverbial clauses differ from those of relative clauses? What do these
differences imply for unified analyses? Can the variation in complementizer
use, agreement, and main clause phenomena across complement, adverbial, and
relative clauses be accounted for using a single abstract pattern, or do they
point to fundamentally distinct derivational mechanisms?
– How do diachronic pathways of adverbial subordinators support or undermine
the hypothesis of their origin in relative clause structures? Which types of
adverbial clauses (e.g., temporal, causal, conditional) show the strongest
historical connection to relative clause structures? What kinds of
morphosyntactic evidence (e.g., case marking, word order) suggest a relative
clause origin? What role do contact-induced changes or areal patterns play in
shaping the evolution of adverbial subordinators from relative structures?
The conference aims to provide a theoretical perspective on the analysis of
adverbial clauses within the framework of various relativization strategies.
It will be preceded by an international workshop on verb-first adverbial
clauses from a cross-linguistic perspective, which will take place at the
University of Hamburg on 22 October 2025.
We invite the submission of abstracts for 40-minute oral presentations (plus
an additional 20 minutes for questions) on topics that address issues related
to the analysis of adverbial clauses as relative or correlative clauses. These
may include case studies as well as formal theories of specific types of
adverbial clauses. We also welcome research at the interfaces with semantics
and other areas, as long as it contributes to the core question of the
conference.
Abstracts should be submitted in PDF format to and lukasz.jedrzejowski@uia.no,
with all non-standard fonts embedded. Abstracts must not exceed two pages,
including data. An additional third page may be used for references.
Submissions should be in letter or A4 format, with 1 inch (2.5 cm) margins on
all sides, single-spaced, and in a font no smaller than 11 pt. Abstracts must
be anonymous. Please ensure that PDF files do not contain any identifying
metadata. Each author may submit one individual and one joint abstract, or two
joint abstracts.
Please submit abstracts to and lukasz.jedrzejowski@uia.no no later than
September 20, 2025.
Notification: 30 September 2025
For inquiries, please send an e-mail to lukasz.jedrzejowski@uia.no
For full list of references, please see the meeting's website.
The conference is funded by a German Research Foundation grant to ukasz J
drzejowski (grant number 455700544).
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https://linguistlist.org/issues/36/2285/
6th International Conference on Adverbial Clauses
Theme: Adverbial Clauses: New Horizons
Date: 09-Mar-2026 - 10-Mar-2026
Location: Berlin, Germany
Contact: ukasz Jdrzejowski
Contact Email: lukasz.jedrzejowski@uia.no
Meeting URL: http://www.lukasz-jedrzejowski.eu/adverbial-clauses-2/
Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics; Historical Linguistics; Semantics;
Syntax
Submission Deadline: 30-Oct-2025
Meeting Description:
Over the past years, the international scientific network "Adverbial Clauses
and Subordinate Dependency Relationships", funded by the German Science
Foundation (grant no. 455700544), has brought together a growing body of
scholars to investigate the structure, function, and variation of adverbial
clauses from a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives. The
conferences have addressed their syntax, semantics, prosody, diachrony,
typology, and cross-linguistic variation.
The closing conference "Adverbial clauses: New horizons" aims to synthesize
these insights, reflect on unresolved questions, and open new avenues for
research. By inviting contributions that challenge traditional classifications
and explore under-investigated phenomena, the event provides a platform to
reassess the status of adverbial clauses within the broader context of clause
linkage, dependency, and interface phenomena, and to lay the groundwork for an
international research group on adverbial clauses.
The international conference "Adverbial clauses: New horizons" is organized as
part of the scientific network Adverbial Clauses and Subordinate Dependency
Relationships, funded by the German Science Foundation (grant number 455700544
) and granted to ukasz Jdrzejowski. The network is currently led by
Andreas Pankau. The conference will be hosted by the Institut für Deutsche
und Niederländische Philologie at the Free University of Berlin on March 9–
10, 2026, and is organized by Andreas Pankau and ukasz Jdrzejowski.
Invited Speakers (all confirmed):
Norbert Corver (Utrecht University)
Joachim Jacobs (University of Wuppertal)
Richard Larson (Stony Brook University)
Roland Meyer (HU Berlin)
Call for Papers:
We invite the submission of abstracts for 40-minute oral presentations (plus
an additional 20 minutes for questions) on topics that explore new
perspectives on adverbial clauses. These may include case studies as well as
formal analyses of specific adverbial clause types. We also welcome research
at the interfaces, as long as it contributes to the broader understanding of
adverbial clauses.
We particularly welcome contributions that draw connections across previously
discussed themes (e.g., syntactic integration and prosody, mood and
subordination, diachrony and typology), revisit controversial claims, and
explore implications for general linguistic theory. We also encourage
theoretically informed contributions grounded in cross-linguistic, diachronic,
or experimental data.
Abstracts should be submitted in PDF format to Andreas.Pankau@fu-berlin.de and
lukasz.jedrzejowski@uia.no, with all non-standard fonts embedded. Abstracts
must not exceed two pages, including data. An additional third page may be
used for references. Submissions should be in letter or A4 format, with 1-inch
(2.5 cm) margins on all sides, single-spaced, and in a font no smaller than
11 pt. Abstracts must be anonymous. Please ensure that PDF files do not
contain any identifying metadata. Each author may submit one individual and
one joint abstract, or two joint abstracts.
Please submit abstracts to Andreas.Pankau@fu-berlin.de and lukasz.jedrzejowski
@uia.no no later than October 30, 2025.
Notification: 14 November 2025
For inquiries, please send an e-mail to Andreas.Pankau@fu-berlin.de and to
lukasz.jedrzejowski@uia.no
The conference is funded by a German Research Foundation grant to ukasz J
drzejowski (grant number 455700544).
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https://linguistlist.org/issues/36/2286/
International Workshop on Adverbial Clauses and Prosody
Date: 12-Mar-2026 - 13-Mar-2026
Location: Potsdam, Germany
Contact: ukasz Jdrzejowski
Contact Email: lukasz.jedrzejowski@uia.no
Meeting URL: http://www.lukasz-jedrzejowski.eu/adverbial-clauses-2/
Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics; Phonology; Semantics; Syntax
Submission Deadline: 30-Oct-2025
Meeting Description:
Since Downing's (1970) seminal work on English intonational phrases (IPs), a
growing body of literature has shown that selected types of subordinate
clauses can clearly form their own IPs. As for English, it has been generally
observed that adverbial clauses are prosodically integrated into the matrix
clause when they appear in their base position or attach to a position that is
in the scope of the main verb. For example, Downing (1970: 82) observes that
temporal "while"-clauses do not form a separate IP, whereas adversative "while
"-clauses do. This is in accordance with Haegeman's (2003) typology of
adverbial clauses, according to which temporal "while"-clauses are analyzed as
syntactically embedded clauses, whereas their adversative counterparts are
taken to be base-generated within the CP domain of the matrix clause and to be
more independent. Selkirk (2005: 22–28) makes a similar observation about "
because"-clauses occurring to the right of the matrix clause. When they are VP
modifiers, there is no IP break required at the adjunction point. But when,
on the other hand, "because"-clauses are used as higher adjuncts, they usually
require their own IPs. However, it is everything but obvious that when
adverbial clauses attach higher in the clause structure – either to the right
or to the left – they form an IP of their own (cf. Hamlaoui 2023 and
Hamlaoui & Szendri 2025 for a recent overview of typological data).
Furthermore, Frey (2011: 49–51) points out that peripheral adverbial clauses
can have the same options of prosodic realization as central adverbial clauses
. The current state of affairs on adverbial clauses and their prosody calls
therefore for new studies and novel insights.
The main aim of the workshop is to fill this gap by bringing together recent
theoretical and experimental investigations on prosody of adverbial clauses.
Furthermore, we hope to gain novel theoretical insights into how adverbial
subordinate dependency relationships work and, through synergy effects, to
provide a deeper understanding of how prosody is used in subordinate contexts.
The international workshop on "Adverbial clauses and prosody" is organized as
part of the scientific network "Adverbial clauses and subordinate dependency
relationships" funded by German Science Foundation granted to ukasz J
drzejowski (grant number 455700544) and led by Andreas Pankau. The workshop
will be hosted by the Institute for Romance Studies at the University of
Potsdam, on March 12-13, 2026, and is organized by Jan Fliessbach and ukasz
Jdrzejowski.
Invited Speakers (all confirmed):
Timo Buchholz (University of Cologne)
Emily Elfner (York University)
Fatima Hamlaoui (University of Toronto)
Michael Wagner (McGill University)
Call for Papers:
Topics for the workshop include, but are not limited to, the following
questions:
– What is the relation between adverbial clauses and phonological structure?
How to best account for the relationship between adverbial subordination and
phonological structure within and across languages? Do adverbial clauses map
onto their own intonational phrase? What are cross-linguistic valid
generalizations regarding the prosodic phrasing of different types of
adverbial clauses?
– How does the Match Theory (Selkirk 2009, 2011) or the Flexible Approach (
Hamlaoui & Szendri 2017) capture the precise correspondence between
syntactic and prosodic structure of adverbial clauses?
– What role do prosodic well-formedness constraints (e.g. size constraints),
information-structural constraints (e.g. STRESSFOCUS) or processing play in
determining the integration status of an adverbial clause?
– Adverbial clauses have been analyzed as central, peripheral or non-
integrated adjuncts, depending on how deeply they are integrated into the host
clause (cf. Takami 1988, Haegeman 2003, Frey 2020, among many others). Do
their integration status correlate with their prosodic properties? What
patterns and correlations are to be observed?
– Different types of syntactically non-integrated adverbial clauses have been
postulated in the literature (cf. Schönenberger & Haegeman 2023 and Frey
2023). Do they also exhibit different prosodic properties? If not, how do they
differ? Do all types of non-integrated adverbial clauses introduce their own
intonational phrase boundaries?
– Adverbial clauses can also attach as dislocated adjuncts and involve a
resumptive or an expletive-like element in front of the matrix clause (cf. e.g
. "If Pete runs for President, then the Republicans will lose" taken from
Iatridou 1994). What are prosodic properties of such dislocated adverbial
clauses? How does prosodic (dis)integration correlate with syntactic (dis)
integration (cf. Myrberg 2013)?
– Ebert et al. (2014) developed a unified analysis of conditional clauses as
topics. How is it linked to Feldhausen's (2010) ALIGN-TOPIC, R, according to
which constituents that are topical form their own IPs? Does it encompass all
types of conditional clauses, regardless of their syntactic integration status
and of their position?
The workshop seeks to offer an interdisciplinary perspective on prosody of
adverbial clauses and will be preceded by an international closing conference
on adverbial clauses at the Free University of Berlin (9-10 March, 2026).
We invite submission of abstracts for 40-minute oral presentations (with
additional 20 minutes for questions) on topics that address prosody of
adverbial clauses. These may include case studies as well as formal theories
of particular adverbial clause types. We also welcome research at the
interfaces with syntax and other areas, as long as the research makes a
contribution to the area of prosody of adverbial clauses.
Abstracts should be submitted in PDF format to jan.fliessbach@uni-potsdam.de
and to lukasz.jedrzejowski@uia.no, with all non-standard fonts embedded.
Abstracts should not exceed 2 pages, which includes the data. An additional
third page may be used for references. Abstracts must be submitted in letter
or A4 format with 1 inch or 2.5cm margins on all sides, single-spaced, and in
a font no smaller than 11pt. Abstracts should be anonymous. Please make sure
that PDF files do not have any identifying metadata. Submissions are limited
to one individual and one joint abstract per author (or two joint abstracts
per author).
Please submit abstracts to jan.fliessbach@uni-potsdam.de and to lukasz.
jedrzejowski@uia.no no later than October 30, 2025.
Notification: 14 November 2025
For inquiries, please send an e-mail to jan.fliessbach@uni-potsdam.de and to
lukasz.jedrzejowski@uia.no
For full list of references, please see the meeting's website.
The workshop is funded by a German Research Foundation grant to ukasz J
drzejowski (grant number 455700544).
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