Typological differences in the formation of multiple Wh-questions are well-known. One option is fronting all Wh-phrases to the sentence periphery. The contributions to this volume all explore this option from a number of perspectives. Topics covered include finer investigations of the “classic” multiple Wh-fronting languages (such as the South Slavic languages Bulgarian and Serbo-Croatian), extensions to less well studied languages (Basque, Malagasy, Persian, Yiddish), explorations for languages that don’t obviously fall into this category (German, Hungarian), peripheral effects (optionality of fronting, Superiority vs. Anti-Superiority etc.), interface issues (with semantics, pragmatics, and phonology), and simply theoretical approaches aiming to capture the mechanisms involved in multiple Wh-fronting strategies. The theoretical framework adopted throughout is the Minimalist Program, viewed from different angles. This volume brings together some of the leading experts on the syntax of Wh-questions and offers up-to-date analyses of the topic. It will be indispensable for scholars investigating multiple Wh -questions, and will find an appropriate audience in advanced students and faculty alike.

Table of contents

Acknowledgements vii List of contributors viii Introduction Cedric Boeckx and Kleanthes K. Grohmann 1–15 Symmetries and asymmetries in multiple checking Cedric Boeckx 17–26 On wh-islands and obligatory wh-movement contexts in South Slavic Zeljko Boškovic 27–50 On the nature of multiple fronting in Yiddish Molly Diesing 51–76 On the morphosyntax of wh-movement Marcel den Dikken 77–98 German is a multiple wh-fronting language! Kleanthes K. Grohmann 99–130 Deriving Anti-Superiority effects: Multiple wh-questions in Japanese and Korean Youngmi Jeong 131–140 Conjoined questions in Hungarian Anikó Lipták 141–160 Persian wh-riddles Ahmad R. Lotfi 161–186 Non-wh-fronting in Basque Lara Reglero 187–227 Malagasy as an optional multiple wh-fronting language Joachim Sabel 229–254 Multiple wh-fronting in Serbo-Croatian matrix questions and the matrix sluicing construction Sandra Stjepanovic 255–284 Index 285–289