Research on the complex sentences in natural discourse in the languages of the Northwest Coast of North America

我们在这个项目中研究的语言（Salishan和Haida）都是所谓的多合成语言，从属子句的结构在形态上很复杂。在自然语篇中，形式上的从属分句可以在没有明确的母题分句的情况下出现。这与日本的“iisashi”现象相当。这种不从属从句的功能在不同语言中是相似的，例如，表达警告和愿望。它们也被用来将小句与更广泛的话语背景联系起来。

The languages that we studied in this project (Salishan and Haida) are all so-called polysynthetic languages, and the constructions of subordinate clauses are morphologically complex. What are formally subordinated clauses can appear without a clear matrix clause in natural discourse. This is comparable to the Japanese "iisashi" phenomenon. The function of such insubordinated clauses are similar across languages, for example, expressing warnings and wishes. They are also used to tie the clause to a broader discourse context.