Wh-Fronting in a two-probe system
Prior work on wh-movement has distinguished among several types of wh-fronting languages that permit distinct patterns of overt and covert movement, instantiated for example by the Slavic languages, English, and German. This paper extends the cross-linguistic typology of multiple questions by arguin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer Netherlands
2016
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/103321 |
| _version_ | 1811092878824308736 |
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| author | Kotek, Hadas |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Linguistics and Philosophy |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Linguistics and Philosophy Kotek, Hadas |
| author_sort | Kotek, Hadas |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Prior work on wh-movement has distinguished among several types of wh-fronting languages that permit distinct patterns of overt and covert movement, instantiated for example by the Slavic languages, English, and German. This paper extends the cross-linguistic typology of multiple questions by arguing that Hebrew instantiates a new kind of wh-fronting language, unlike any that are discussed in the current literature. It will show that Hebrew distinguishes between two kinds of interrogative phrases: those that are headed by a wh-word (wh-headed phrases: what, who, [[subscript DP] which X], where, how…) and those that contain a wh-word but are headed by some other element (wh-containing phrases: [[subscript NP] N of wh], [[subscript PP] P wh]). We observe the special status of wh-headed phrases when one occurs structurally lower in a question than a wh-containing phrase. In that case, the wh-headed phrase can be targeted by an Agree/Attract operation that ignores the presence of the c-commanding wh-containing phrase. The paper develops an account of the sensitivity of interrogative probing operations to the head of the interrogative phrase within Cable’s (2010) Q-particle theory. It proposes that the Hebrew Q has an EPP feature which can trigger head-movement of wh to Q and that a wh-probe exists alongside the more familiar Q-probe, and shows how these two modifications to the theory can account for the intricate dataset that emerges from the paper. The emerging picture is one in which interrogative probing does not occur wholesale but rather can be sensitive to particular interrogative features on potential goals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T15:32:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/103321 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T15:32:17Z |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publisher | Springer Netherlands |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1033212022-10-02T02:53:14Z Wh-Fronting in a two-probe system Kotek, Hadas Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Linguistics and Philosophy Kotek, Hadas Prior work on wh-movement has distinguished among several types of wh-fronting languages that permit distinct patterns of overt and covert movement, instantiated for example by the Slavic languages, English, and German. This paper extends the cross-linguistic typology of multiple questions by arguing that Hebrew instantiates a new kind of wh-fronting language, unlike any that are discussed in the current literature. It will show that Hebrew distinguishes between two kinds of interrogative phrases: those that are headed by a wh-word (wh-headed phrases: what, who, [[subscript DP] which X], where, how…) and those that contain a wh-word but are headed by some other element (wh-containing phrases: [[subscript NP] N of wh], [[subscript PP] P wh]). We observe the special status of wh-headed phrases when one occurs structurally lower in a question than a wh-containing phrase. In that case, the wh-headed phrase can be targeted by an Agree/Attract operation that ignores the presence of the c-commanding wh-containing phrase. The paper develops an account of the sensitivity of interrogative probing operations to the head of the interrogative phrase within Cable’s (2010) Q-particle theory. It proposes that the Hebrew Q has an EPP feature which can trigger head-movement of wh to Q and that a wh-probe exists alongside the more familiar Q-probe, and shows how these two modifications to the theory can account for the intricate dataset that emerges from the paper. The emerging picture is one in which interrogative probing does not occur wholesale but rather can be sensitive to particular interrogative features on potential goals. 2016-06-24T16:38:36Z 2016-06-24T16:38:36Z 2014-05 2011-12 2016-05-23T12:07:24Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0167-806X 1573-0859 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/103321 Kotek, Hadas. “Wh-Fronting in a Two-Probe System.” Nat Lang Linguist Theory 32, no. 4 (May 15, 2014): 1105–1143. en http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11049-014-9238-8 Natural Language & Linguistic Theory Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht application/pdf Springer Netherlands Springer Netherlands |
| spellingShingle | Kotek, Hadas Wh-Fronting in a two-probe system |
| title | Wh-Fronting in a two-probe system |
| title_full | Wh-Fronting in a two-probe system |
| title_fullStr | Wh-Fronting in a two-probe system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wh-Fronting in a two-probe system |
| title_short | Wh-Fronting in a two-probe system |
| title_sort | wh fronting in a two probe system |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/103321 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kotekhadas whfrontinginatwoprobesystem |