The role of the correlate in clause-embedding

This contribution analyzes cataphoric and anaphoric correlates in contemporary German and Russian. It concentrates on their role in the reference to finite clauses. On the basis of a minimalist conception of sound-meaning correlation and discriminating between semantic form and conceptual structure, lexical entries for correlates and lexical heads are presented with special emphasis on the syntactic and semantic functions of dependent clauses. In addition to the nominalizing function of the cataphoric correlates, two templates are proposed to accommodate embedded clauses to their respective role as modifiers or as arguments.