Section 13-2 THE INDEFINITE NOUN CLAUSE

It is sometimes difficult to gather a difference in meaning between the wh-IntNC and the indefinite noun clause (IndNC). Since the connective for both clauses can be a wh-pronoun, the meaning can be the only difference. In (1) the wh-interrogative as the object of wonder may be the unknown answer to the question of the first imbed, whereas in the indefinite interpretation it is possible to construe that the object is known, just not stated.
(1)I used to wonder what this might be.—Kimball.
i.What might this be?
m.I used to wonder about this.IntNC (ObjP)
i.This might be something.
m.I used to wonder about this.IndNC (ObjP as PredN)
(2)I wonder when Englishmen will learn these hospitable graces. They are worth learning. —Stevenson.
1i.Englishmen will learn these hospitable graces at some time.
1m.I wonder about this.IndNC (ObjP as Tem)
2i.Someone may learn them.
2m.They are worth this.Gerund as AdvN
Principle 12
We give the IndNC its name from the indefinite pronoun some, some one, or something that often appears in parataxis. A similar structure paraphrases with a noun and an indefinite article any, anyone, or anything. Among many linguists the IndNC is referred to as a “head internal relative clause.” This traditional term is based on two facts: 1) many of its possible connectives are identical to those of an adjective clause, which clause is “relative,” and 2) it has no external “head” to serve as an antecedent. The IndNC in (3) is virtually synonymous with the wh-IntNC in sentence (6) of §13-1; the difference can only be whether the author knows the answer. This interpretation with “tell me” may be a bit strained, but other verbs and situations where an imperative is not so easily inferred have an easier time.
(3)Tell me what time it is.
i.It is some time. (I know it already!)
m.Tell me this time.IndNC (Obj as PredN)
(4)So, what was contentment in the slave became philanthropy in the emperor. — Lord.
i.Something was contentment in the slave.
m.So this thing became philanthropy in the emperor.IndNC (Subj as Subj)
(5)My brother gave me what I wanted for Christmas.
i.I wanted something for Christmas. (I didn't ask anyone for it!)
m.My brother gave this to me.IndNC (Obj as Obj)
VIEW Indefinite Noun Clause [IndNC]

The chief functions of the indefinite noun clause.  
As does the DecNC so also the IndNC appears as subject, as object of the verb, as object of a preposition, or subject or object complement, i.e., the primitive functions of a noun phrase.
(1)What is true of individual men is true also of races.—Lowell.
i.Something is true of individual men.
m.This thing is true also of races.IndNC (Subj as Subj)
(2)Milton, it is said, inherited what his predecessors created.—Macaulay.
i.Milton's predecessors created something.
m.=i.Milton inherited this.IndNC (Obj as Obj)
m.This is said.DecNC (paren)
It also appears rather freely as an adverbial noun. Here its connective is a modifier to the noun extent, the phrase serving the function of an adverb of extent.
(3)To what extent the birds or animals can foretell the weather is uncertain.—Burroughs.
ia.To some extent the birds may be able to foretell the weather.
ib.To some extent the animals may be able to foretell the weather.Conj (ARG)
m.This is uncertain.IndNC (Deg as ObjP)
Often the IndNC has much the same function as many an adjective clause. Generally it serves to identify as in (1). In (4) the clause stands as an appositive to the personal pronoun; this structure is virtually indistinguishable from the (identifying) adjective clause. Both clauses are identifying. The only difference is whether the personal pronoun is expressed. We will regularly paraphrase them like their non-appositive counterparts. However, usually this non-appositive form is stilted, possibly because it has been forced to conform to the Latin form. Sometimes a non-appositive form simply does not exist. In the following we might maintain that the IndNC serves also as a manner sequentive clause.
(4)They have rights who dare maintain them. — Lowell.
T.Who maintain their rights have them (thereby=by those means).
i.Someone may dare maintain rights.
m.They have them (thereby).IndNC (Subj as Subj)
It is really quite helpful when the author expresses the pronoun, as it shows the function of the clause in the matrix.

Indefinite noun clause as an adverb.  
It is quite useful to have an adverb as subject or object, etc., i.e., in the normal use of a noun. It is probably possible to compose sentences with any adverbial noun acting with any of the normal functions of a noun. We have seen the verb say with objects in the form of QuoNC, DecNC, IntNC, and here the IndNC:
(1)We need not say how much we admire his public conduct. — Macaulay.
i.We admire his public conduct so much.
m.We need not say this (amount).IndNC (Obj as Deg)
The following has as object two IndNCs, one describing an object and one describing a degree.
(2)Take away from us what the Greeks have given; and I hardly can imagine how low the modern European would stand.—Ruskin.
ai.The Greeks have given us something.
am.(You may) take this away from us.IndNC (Obj as Obj)
bi.The modern European would stand so low (in this case).
bm.I hardly can imagine this extent (in this case).IndNC (Obj as Deg); cnConj (CL)
(3)The balconies are always charming, whether they hang high over the streets or look out upon the canals.—Howells.
ia.The balconies may hang high over the streets.
ib.The balconies may look out upon the canals.Disj (PRED)
m.They are always charming in any case.IndNC (Cnd as Cnd)
(4)I left my own garden yesterday, and went over to where Polly was getting the weeds out of one of her flower-beds.—Warner.
a.I left my own garden yesterday.
i.Polly was getting the weeds out of one of her flower-beds in some place.
m.=b.I went over to this place.Conj (PRED); IndNC (Loc as Loc)
(5)If we wore prints, instead of summer silks, it was because we preferred a washing material.—Mrs. Gaskell.
i1.We preferred a washing material (in some cases).
i2a.We did not wear summer silks (in some cases).
i2b.We may have worn prints instead (in some cases).Advers (CL)PP
m.This was for that reason.IndNC (Con); IndNC (mCau)

The classifying indefinite noun clause.  
An indefinite clause may as easily identify the class of the subject. It is often possible to claim that it is the indefinite class that the matrix identifies. Hence, though structured differently from a classifying adjective clause, the IndNC may serve the same purpose.
(1)Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.—Kimball.
i.Anything at all may be worth doing.
m.This thing is worth doing well.IndNC (Subj as Subj)
(1')Anything (which is) worth doing at all is worth doing well.—(1 altered)
i.Something is worth doing at all.
m.Anything of this kind is worth doing well.cAdjC
Principle 12a

The identifying indefinite noun clause.  
When the indefinite noun clause stands in apposition to the pronoun (or adverb), the IndNC is difficult to distinguish from the identifying AdjC. Sometimes the connective holds the clue, but when the connective would be the same, there may be no other structural difference. Here are further examples:
(1)Whatever is fated, that will take place.—Emerson.
E.Whatever is fated will take place.
i.Anything (= any kind of thing) may be fated.
m.(=i.)That (kind of thing) will take place.IndNC (Subj as Subj)
(m.)That is this.iAdjC
(2)He is great who confers the most benefits.—Emerson.
i.Someone may confer the most benefits.
m.(=i.)He (= this one) is great.IndNC (Subj as Subj)
(m.)He is this one.iAdjC
(3)He, who, in an enlightened and literary society, aspires to be a great poet, must first become a little child.—Macaulay.
ia.Someone may aspire to be a great poet in a literary society.
ib.Someone may aspire to be a great poet in an enlightened society.qConj (Adj)
m.(=i.)He (= this person) must first become a little child.IndNC (Subj as Subj)
(m.)He is this person.iAdjC
Principle 12b
The following allows interpretation as an IndNC (cf. figure 3) or an AdjC.
(4)He discerned her not there where she stood.—Carlyle.
i.She stood in some place.
m.He discerned her not there in this place.IndNC (Loc as Loc)
(4')He discerned her not there (which was) where she stood.—(5 altered).
i.She stood in some place.
m.=i.This place was there.IndNC (Loc as Loc)
m.He discerned her not there.iAdjC
A third interpretation, rather specious, is the conjoining by the accumulation of adverbs, one containing the IndNC. In this case the place where he was when he was discerning (her not to be in some (other) place) and of her standing would be the same.
(4'')He discerned her not there where she stood.
a.He discerned her not there. (He was not there when he discerned her.)
bi.She stood in some place.
bm.He did this in this place.AccAdv; IndNC (Loc as Loc)
Diagram of an Indefinite Noun Clause

The cleft-sentence paraphrase.  
Most parts of a sentence may participate in what linguists call the cleft-sentence paraphrase, where an IndNC replaces any selected noun phrase.
(1)My mother is running for sheriff.
(2)What my mother is doing is running for sheriff.
i.My mother is doing something.
m.That thing is running for sheriff.IndNC (Subj as Obj)
(3)Who is running for sheriff is my mother.
i.Someone is running for sheriff.
m.She is my mother.IndNC (Subj as Subj)
In the following the whole sentence comes into focus by means of an IndNC as subject to a parenthetical DecNC.
(4)And, what is notable, in no time whatever can they entirely eradicate out of living men’s hearts a certain altogether peculiar reverence for Great Men. — Carlyle.
m.Something is notable.
i.In no time whatever can they entirely eradicate out of living men’s hearts a certain altogether peculiar reverence for Great Men.
i.=m.And that is this.IndNC (Subj as Subj); DecNC (PredN)
Principle 12c

The pseudo-cleft-sentence paraphrase.  
The indefinite noun clause as subject may be referred to by the pronoun it and transposed to the end of the sentence. Any selected noun phrase position may also be filled with an adjective clause to the pronoun it. We mentioned in the last chapter how certain adverb uses of a declarative noun clause have a more natural paraphrase as an indefinite noun clause. The pseudo-cleft-sentence supplies our best examples, virtually synonymous with the corresponding cleft-sentence. The difference is in focus.
(1)It is running for sheriff that my mother is doing.—(2 of previous paragraph, altered).
i.My mother is doing something.
m.It is running for sheriff.IndNC (Subj as Obj)
(2)It is my mother who is running for sheriff.—(3 of previous paragraph, altered).
i.Someone is running for sheriff.
m.It is my mother.IndNC (Subj as Subj)
Principle 12d
Here are some more examples of the pseudo-cleft-sentence paraphrase:
(3)It was within the dingy walls of this little potentate’s imperial palace that I chose my country residence.—Longfellow.
E.Where I chose my country residence was within the dingy walls of this little potentate's imperial palace.
i.I chose my country residence (to be) in some place.
m.That place was within the dingy walls of this little potentate's imperial palace.IndNC (Subj as Loc)
(4)I think it does not matter just when I came to Venice.—Howells.
E.I think that just when I came to Venice does not matter.
i.I came to Venice at some time.
m=i.The exact time does not matter.IndNC (Subj as Tem)
m.I think this.DecNC (Obj)
(5)It is by little things that we know ourselves.—Holmes.
i.We know ourselves.
m.This is by little things.mDecNC (Subj)
E.How we know ourselves is by little things.
i.We know ourselves by some means.
m.This means is by little things.IndNC (Man as Subj)
(6)It is by his poetry that Milton is best known; and it is of his poetry that we first wish to speak.—Macaulay.
ai.Milton is best known.
am.This is by his poetry.mDecNC (Subj)
bi.We first wish to speak.
bm.This is of poetry.DecNC (Subj); Conj (CL)
E.Why Milton is best known is by his poetry, and what we first wish to speak of is his poetry.
ai.Milton is best known for some reason.
am.This reason is by his poetry.IndNC (Cau as Subj)
bi.We first wish to speak of some thing.
bm.This thing is of his poetry.IndNC (PObj as Subj); Conj (CL)
(7)It is with lent money that all evil is mainly done, and all unjust war protracted.— Ruskin.
E.All evil is mainly done and all unjust war is protracted with lent money.
E'.What all evil is mainly done with and all unjust war protracted with is lent money.
ia.All evil is mainly done by some means.
ib.All unjust war is mainly protracted by some means.Conj (ARG+VP)
m.This means is with lent money.IndNC (Man as Subj)
(8)It is the universal nature which gives worth to particular men and things.—Emerson.
E.The universal nature gives worth to particular men and things.
E'.What gives worth to particular men and things is the universal nature.
ia.Something gives worth to particular men.
ib.Something gives worth to particular things.Conj (ARG)
m.This is the universal nature.IndNC (Deg as Pobj)
There is also the idiomatic loss of part of the matrix in (9), related to the pseudo-cleft-sentence in (4):
(9)No matter just at this moment, what he said.—Holmes.
E.It is no matter just at this moment, what he said.
i.He said something.
m.This is no matter just at this moment.IndNC (Subj as Obj)
Notice that in (10) we have the normal occurrence of an IndNC. The difference between this and the pseudo-cleft-sentence version in (11) is the pronoun of the subject. We may also interpret (10) as the transposition of an AdjC in apposition to the pronoun subject.
(10)He is the chieftain who looms a head above all his people.—Boyesen.
i.Someone may loom a head above all his people.
m.(=i.)He is the chieftain.IndNC (Subj as Subj)
(m.)This is he.iAdjC
(11)It is the chieftain who looms a head above all his people.—(6 altered).
i.Someone may loom a head above all his people.
m.This is the chieftain.IndNC (Subj as Subj)
(12)It was coffee and not wine that I drank.—Howells.
E.(What I drank was coffee and not wine.)
i.I drank something.
ma.That was coffee.
mb.That was not wine.IndNC (Obj as Sub); Conj (ARG)
(13)It's faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes life worth looking at.—Holmes.
E.(What makes life worth looking at is faith in something and enthusiasm for something.)
i.Something makes life worth looking at.
ma.It's faith in something.
mb.It's enthusiasm for something.IndNC (Subj as Subj); Conj (ARG)
(14)Is it dark meat or white meat you will be helped to?—Holmes.
E.(What will you be helped to, dark meat or white meat.)[two what’s]
i.You will be helped to something.
ma.Is it dark meat?
mb.Is it white meat?IndNC (Obj as Subj); Disj (ARG)
(15)It is the bit of truth in every slander, the hint of likeness in every caricature, that makes us smart.—Lowell.
E.(What makes us smart is the bit of truth in every slander, the hint of likeness in every caricature.)
i.Something makes us smart.
ma.It is the bit of truth in every slander.
mb.It is the hint of likeness in every caricature.IndNC (Subj as Subj); Conj (ARG)

Reduction of the indefinite noun clause to an infinitive phrase.  
If both sentences of the paratactic paraphrase have the same subject, the IntNC or the IndNC may take the form of an infinitive phrase. This retention of the noun clause connective is no doubt what has motivated some linguists to call this a “non-finite clause.”
(1)My wife always knows what she will wear.
D.My wife always knows what to wear.
i.My wife will wear something.
m.She always knows it.IndNC (Obj as Obj)
(2)The committee decided when they would meet.
D.The committee decided when to meet.
i.The committee will meet at some time.
m.They decided on this time.IndNC (Adv as PObj)
Principle 12e

The connectives of the indefinite noun clause.  
Figure 4 displays the connectives of the indefinite noun clause. The IndNC is introduced by a wh-pronoun: what, who, whatever, and whoever or by a wh-article: what, which, whatever, and whichever.
Forms of Indefinite Noun Clause Connectives
(1)I will give it to whoever comes first.
i.Any (or anyone) may come first.
m.I will give it to them (or him).IndNC (Subj as Obj)
(2)Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Kaatskill mountains.—Irving.
i.Someone may have made a voyage up the Hudson.
m.Anyone of this kind must remember the Kaatskill mountains.IndNC (Subj as cAdj in Subj)
(3)Whatever ornaments she wears are of massive gold.—Kimball.
i.She may wear ornaments.
m.Any of these are of massive gold.IndNC (Obj as iAdj in Subj)
When the IndNC serves as a locative, temporal, or manner (modal), it has the appropriate adverb as connective: where, when, how, viz., wherever, whenever, however.
(4)It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple-tree is connected with that of man.—Thoreau.
i.The history of the apple-tree is connected with that of man closely to some extent.
m.This extent is remarkable.IndNC (eAdv as Subj)
(5)We'll go where on the rocky isles
Her eggs the screaming sea fowl piles
Beside the pebbly shore.—Bryant.
ia.The screaming sea fowl piles her eggs somewhere on the rocky isles.
ib.The screaming sea fowl piles her eggs beside the pebbly shore.AdvA (Loc)
m.We'll go there.IndNC (Loc as Loc)
(6)Thought is thought, howe'er it speak or spell itself.—Carlyle.
ia.Thought may speak itself in some way.
ib.Thought may spell itself in some way.Disj (V)
m.Thought is thought in any case.IndNC (Man as Cnc)
Connective principle 10

An apparent missing connective of an indefinite noun clause.  
One often hears a certain colloquial construction where it seems that the what of an IndNC is omitted resulting in the word is appearing twice. The IndNC is associated with a DecNC in such a way that the speaker will probably not omit the that introducing the DecNC.
(1)What the problem is is (that) there are too many cooks.
D.The problem is is that there are too many cooks.
D'.?The problem is is there are too many cooks.
i1.The problem is something.
i2.There are too many cooks.
m.That thing is this.IndNC (Subj as PredN); DecNC (PredN)
(That thing is that there are too many cooks.)
Connective principle 10a

The indefinite noun clause as an exclamative.  
There is another use of noun clauses often beginning with how or what that is associated with the pro-sentence exclamatives. This type of IndNC is possibly interpreted as the object of an omitted imperative. Any other connective of the IndNC may be imagined in such an exclamative clause.
(1)Oh, what a beautiful morning!IndNC (Complement of ProSentence)
E.Oh! It is such a beautiful morning.Uncomplemented EXT in PredN
(2)What a large number of cooks there is!
E.Consider what a large number of cooks there is.
i.There is a somewhat large number of cooks.
m.(Consider) this.IndNC (Quantifier as Obj)
Principle 12f
Works of Wonder | Paraphrastic Grammar Contents