The goal of this thesis is to provide an alternative theory of how wh-expressions are
interpreted. I propose that French wh-words are interpreted through an A-bar binding relation
subject to a modified Generalized Binding Theory (cf. Aoun, 1985; henceforth GBT) which is an
LF module of the Minimalist Framework (Chomsky, 1995). Among the four interrogative
strategies available in French, it will be demonstrated that wh-clefts and wh-in-situ pattern
together as they can only be used in strongly presupposed contexts unlike reinforced
interrogatives and inversion+wh-fronting.
French exhibits a puzzle in the domain of Wh/QP interaction. Standard analyses predict
an ambiguity/non-ambiguity contrast depending on the c-command relation between the wh-word
and the QP (May, 1985, etc.). Crucially, a wh-in-situ c-commanded by a universal QP (among
other A'-elements) lacks a non-echo interpretation; only an echo reading is available.
Furthermore, a wh-in-situ within an embedded clause only has an echo reading. Contrastively, an
overtly moved wh-word can always be interpreted as non-echo regardless of an intervening A'-
element or a clause boundary.
I argue that French in-situ facts can be captured by the GBT. I propose that wh-words are
A'-anaphors that receive an interrogative interpretation by being bound to a null Q operator (C°).
This binding relation is subject to locality conditions. First, the lack of a non-echo reading of a
wh-in-situ c-commanded by a QP is a violation of a Specified Antecedent Condition which
requires an A'-anaphor to be bound by the closest potential antecedent. Second, the matrix clause
restriction is captured by a Matrix Clause Condition requiring an A'-anaphor to be bound within
its minimal finite clause. Under minimalist views of movement, a strong [wh] feature of French
null Q attracts a wh-word to raise overtly and adjoin to the root. Because overtly moved whwords
enter LF in the most local binding relation possible with the null Q (spec-head), they may
always be interpreted as non-echo. Lastly, I adopt Chierchia's (1993) Weak Crossover (WCO)
analysis of Wh/QP interaction to capture the ambiguity/non-ambiguity contrast in French overt
syntax. The WCO approach further supports our proposals concerning the composition of French
wh-words; they are made up of a [wh] feature and an A'-anaphoric pronominal element, pro. / Arts, Faculty of / Linguistics, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/6310 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Chang, Lisa |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 5447786 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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