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Dissertation Information
| Title: | The Typology of Constituent Questions: A Lexical-Functional Grammar analysis of 'wh'-questions | Add Dissertation |
| Author: | Louise Mycock | Update Dissertation |
| Email: | click here to access email | |
| Homepage: | http://users.ox.ac.uk/~cpgl0023/ | |
| Institution: | University of Manchester, Department of Linguistics | |
| Completed in: | 2006 | |
| Linguistic Subfield(s): | Linguistic Theories; Syntax; Typology; | |
| Subject Language(s): |
English
Hungarian Japanese Malay |
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| Director(s): |
Nigel Vincent |
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| Abstract: | In this thesis, I explore a non-derivational approach to the typology of constituent (‘wh’) questions. Two principles are hypothesized to underlie constituent question formation cross-linguistically: focusing of all question words and the marking of interrogative scope. It is posited that the requirements for focusing and scope marking can be met at the level of syntax and/or prosody. These proposals are examined in relation to constituent question formation in four case-study languages, each intended to represent a type or types of constituent question formation strategy identified in the literature: Japanese (in situ), Hungarian (‘multiple fronting’, ‘partial 'wh'-movement’), English (‘simple fronting’), and Malay (‘bare scope marking’). Data show that focusing of question words, whether prosodic or syntactic, has a part to play in each of these constituent question formation strategies. There is also evidence of interrogative scope marking by syntactic and/or prosodic means. It is revealed that interrogative scope is delimited by a configuration involving one question phrase, distinguishable from others in a multiple constituent question in terms of the way in which it is focused. A new approach to ‘scope marking’ constructions is also outlined, based on the proposal that clauses can be question phrases just as other constituents can. The proposed Lexical-Functional Grammar analysis of constituent questions enables a typology of constituent question formation strategies to be presented which provides a fresh perspective on the issue. Constituent question formation strategies appear to exploit different means involving distinct structural levels to achieve the same ends. This thesis shows that by refining and fully exploiting the parallel architecture of Lexical-Functional Grammar, generalizations can be made which provide new insights into the formation of constituent questions cross-linguistically. |
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