Chinese Relative Clauses as Reduced (Participial) Relative Clauses

The two possible positions of relative clauses (RCs) in Chinese (the pre-demonstrative one and the post-demonstrative, post-numeral and post-classifier one: <RC1> – Demonstrative – Numeral – Classifier – <RC2> – AP- Noun) have, since Chao's (1968) characterization of RC1 as “restrictive” and RC2 as “descriptive” (nonrestrictive), made Chinese RCs appear quite different from the RCs of other languages (even in conflict with the standard semantics of restrictive and nonrestrictive RCs). A comparative perspective may make Chinese RCs appear less unique.