On the Categorial Status of Interrogatives and Some Theoretical Implications

Abstract

Interrogative clauses (ICs), both embedded and matrix, have been considered as CPs in the literature. It has, however, been pointed out, especially by East Asian linguists, that embedded ICs display nominal properties w.r.t. the Case properties and verbal morphology. This paper on the one hand lends support to the nominal analysis of embedded ICs, based on the various other properties including coordination facts, selectional facts, Case barrier effects, etc. The paper claims on the other hand that the nominal analysis can be carried over to matrix ICs, founded on some morphological and syntactic behaviors of matrix ICs across languages. The advanced nominal analysis provides a principled account for some syntactic phenomena, hitherto unexplained or explained with stipulations, such as the opacity of weak islands, restrictions on multiple wh-questions across languages, and peculiarities of Italian ICs.