Feature 11. Position of interrogative phrases

found in question(s): 28a, 28b, 28c, 28d, 28e, 28f

Definition and illustration

An interrogative phrase consists of an interrogative word (aka wh-word) like who or of an interrogative in combination with other elements, such as which person (e.g., Fanselow 2017; Hölzl 2018 and the references therein).

In some languages like Mandarin, interrogative word or phrases remain in situ, i.e. in the same position for the respective category or word class as expected for declarative sentences.

(1) Mandarin

In other languages, the interrogative word or phrase can be ex situ, i.e. in a different position than expected. In this case, there is a variety of different possibilities, of which the following are included into the database: left periphery, movement to the left but not necessarily to the periphery, a preverbal position, or displacement to the right (with or without a cleft-like structure). For instance, in English the interrogative is in the left periphery (see the translation in example 2).

In some languages, only one possibility is available, e.g. the left periphery in Bernese German.

(2) Bernese German

Some languages allow more than one of these possibilities, e.g. left periphery (with a cleft) or in situ in Mooré.

(3) Mooré

Note that we exclude echo questions, which often allow a different position as well (e.g., in situ in English).

The exact position needed to be determined in comparison with the default positions of the respective categories as described in the other features in this database. In many cases, a given example could be analyzed as more than one of these options (e.g., either in situ or preverbal). For the purpose of this database, the most plausible option was chosen for the coding while other possibilities were usually indicated in the comments. For instance, an analysis as in situ in a potentially ambiguous case is more plausible if all other interrogative words or phrases in the language also remain in situ.

The database addresses content qustions addressing the following functions:

• subjects in a transitive clause (i.e., 'who' as an A argument)
• subjects in an intransitive clause (i.e., 'who' as an S argument)
• objects in a transitive clause (i.e., 'what' as an O argument)
• indirect objects in a ditransitive clause (i.e., 'to whom' as a G argument)
• time adverbs ('when' as an adjunct or oblique element)
• manner adverbs ('how' as an adjunct or oblique element)

This selection covers the most important categories for the purposes of this database.

Note that WALS does not distinguish between different functions and only differentiates between initial, non-initial, and mixed positions, which leaves most of the cross-linguistic diversity unaddressed or inaccessible for further research (Dryer 2013).

See also question 29 and feature 12 for multiple content questions.

Correlations

Hawkins (2014: 172-176) proposes that there is a correlation between the availability of the left-peripheral position of the interrogative phrase and basic word order. He proposes the following "wh-fronting frequency ranking":

(4) V-initial > svo > non-rigid sov > rigid sov

Overall, left-peripheral interrogatives are thus more likely to be found in languages with VO word order than in languages with OV order. Bute note that this database also contains examples for OV languages with initial interrogatives (e.g., varities of German and Quechuan).

A preverbal (focus) position of the interrogatives seems to be more common in languages with OV word order. Correlations with respect to the other positions remain uncertain at this point.

References