noun
- A word or particle that introduces a subordinate clause, typically marking the relationship between the main clause and the dependent clause.
Usage: linguistics; grammar
Examples
- In the sentence 'I know that you are here,' the word 'that' is a complementizer.
- The complementizer 'whether' introduces an indirect question in 'She asked whether he would come.'
- In many languages, complementizers mark the boundary between a main clause and its complement clause.
- The complementizer 'if' appears in 'I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.'
- Linguists study how complementizers function across different languages and dialects.