| ROA: | 69 |
|---|---|
| Title: | Optimal Questions |
| Authors: | Peter Ackema, Ad Neeleman |
| Comment: | |
| Length: | 49 |
| Abstract: | Optimal Questions ROA-69 optique.wp51 optique-wp51.zip Peter Ackema & Ad Neeleman Utrecht University The variation among languages in the formation of multiple WH- questions seems to be rather dramatic at first sight. In Dutch and English multiple questions are formed by movement of the highest WH-element and accompanying verb movement, while the other WHs remain in situ. In Bulgarian and Romanian all WHs are moved to the specifier of the highest functional projection and the verb moves to the head of this projection. In Czech and Polish all WHs are adjoined to VP while the verb remains in situ. In Chinese and Japanese nothing moves. In French, finally, either the `English' or the `Chinese' pattern appears. In this paper we argue that all existing and non-existing patterns can be made to follow from the reranking of two general constraints on question formation and the well-known Stay / Shortest Steps condition. The basis of the analyses is a version of X-bar theory (proposed earlier in Ackema et al. 1993) that derives functional projections as a result of movement. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: |
| Type: | Paper/tech report |
| Area/Keywords: | |
| Article: | Version 1 |