complementizer
/ˈkɑmpləmənˌtaɪzər/
noun
- A word or affix that introduces a subordinate clause, such as 'that' in 'I know that she is here.'
- The complementizer 'for' appears in sentences like 'It is important for you to go.'
- In the sentence 'He said that he was tired,' the word 'that' is a complementizer.
- Linguistics students learn that 'if' can also function as a complementizer in certain contexts.