Hubert Truckenbrodt (Leibniz-ZAS Berlin)
Wh-questions in Q-particle theory in German and Turkish
In the first part of the talk, core elements of the Q-particle analysis of wh-questions at the syntax-semantics interface are introduced (Cable 2010, Kotek 2014). In this analysis, wh-phrases are formed by merger of a Q-particle morpheme to the wh-phrase. Cable (2010) further suggests that the wh-feature [wh] is merely the F-feature known from focus, occurring as part of the morphosyntactic structure and semantic interpretation of wh-questions.In the second part of the talk it is shown in some detail how this leads to a sensible perspective on different stress-patterns relating to wh-words in German and English: They can be related to the stress-attracting effect of F that is known from information structure focus.
In the third part of the talk, joint work with Beste Kamali is presented. The analysis is applied to the wh-in-situ language Turkish. The results of a relevant judgment-study are shown and the account of the prosodic effect of wh/F is extended to wh-in-situ languages.