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  • wh_scope
  • Mixed Data
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LanguageQuestionSubquestionColorParameterValuePreference
Amharic19bwh_scope1
Bernese German19bwh_scope1ND
Gagauz19bwh_scope1
Hungarian19bwh_scope1
Marathi19bwh_scope1
Mopan Maya19bwh_scope1NA
Slovene19bwh_scope1
Standard German19bwh_scope1

(19) Does the language have the 'wh-scope marking' construction?

a) Plain example

Context: The police is investigating in a criminal case.

*What does the detective think [who the criminal killed yesterday]?

Intended: 'Who does the detective think, that the criminal killed yesterday?'

Explanation: Working definition of 'wh-scope marking': A dummy interrogative (often 'what' but also 'how' etc.) can be used in the matrix clause to question a constituent from an embedded clause. Make sure that the embedded interrogative is morphologically distinct from the possible dummy element. This is not grammatical in English, but, e.g., is in Hindi:

Siitaa-ne kyaa socaa [ki ravii-ne kisko dekhaa?]

Sita-ERG what thought [that Ravi-ERG who saw]

'Who did Sita think that Ravi saw?'

Note: 'What did Sita think? Who did Ravi see?' (Fanselow)

Background: Wh-scope marking constructions seem to be restricted to O-V languages.