Could you consider these as being content clauses acting as a complement to a noun? CGEL lists moment (and day) in the subsection on words that can head temporal noun phrases but that require complementation (p. 698).
This type seems to be in contrast to ones in which the “moment” is being discussed as a moment, like in this example from COCA:
In Greek theater, the epiphany is the moment when a god appears to impose order on the scene
The ones that are when-able look more relative-y.
— Bill Spruiell
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> on behalf of Beth Young <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Reply-To: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 at 9:23 PM
To: "[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>" <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
Subject: Re: the moment I read this clause
Wait a minute, maybe I'm looking at it backwards. Maybe "the moment" is the adverbial noun phrase that modifies "read"?
The moment I read this clause, I began to wonder.
Which would make "The moment I read this clause" an adverbial clause in which "the moment" is also adverbial (and can be replaced with "when")
When I read this clause, I began to wonder.
However, if "the moment" is itself adverbial, it ought to be able to move around in its clause, and I don't think it can:
*I read this clause the moment, I began to wonder.
OK, back to the drawing board **sigh**
Dr. Beth Rapp Young
Associate Professor, English
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
University of Central Florida
"Reach for the Stars"
________________________________
From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar [[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>] on behalf of Beth Young [[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>]
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 9:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: the moment I read this clause
I'm trying to figure out how to explain noun phrases like, "the moment I read this clause."
The moment I read this clause, I began to wonder.
It's an adverbial NP, but what kind of clause follows "moment"?
You can say "the moment that I read this clause" but not *"the moment which I read this clause." A relative pronoun plays a role in its clause, but there's no slot for a pronoun here. So, not a relative clause.
On the other hand, if the clause is a nominal appositive, we should be able to swap it with the noun phrase it renames, right? But you can't do that here:
*I read this clause the moment, I began to wonder.
Maybe the elided word is "when"?
??The moment when I read this clause, I began to wonder.
Which would make it a relative clause that begins with an elided "when"? That doesn't sound especially grammatical to me, but maybe I've been thinking so much about it that I've got some semantic satiation going on.
My students are asking me about this kind of construction (another example: "The day I saw you, I fell in love") and I'm wondering how to describe it. I'll check CGEL too but thought maybe someone on the list has already developed a student-friendly explanation.
Thanks,
Beth
Dr. Beth Rapp Young
Associate Professor, English
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
University of Central Florida
"Reach for the Stars"
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