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What's ‘what’ in French questions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2001

BERNADETTE PLUNKETT
Affiliation:
University of York

Abstract

The analysis of French ‘what’ questions poses a number of difficulties. These questions exhibit numerous peculiarities, especially when they involve a subject wh-phrase. It is argued that the anomalous paradigm derives from three independent factors. The first is linked to the general status of matrix subject wh-phrases and the position they occupy at the interface levels. The second relates to the status of que ‘what’ as a phonological clitic. The third is argued to derive from the difference between strong quoi ‘what’ and weak que with respect to specificity. Once the interaction of these factors is taken into account, the unusual paradigm is completely explained.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2000 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

This paper owes much to comments and suggestions by David Adger and Anthony Warner as well as by JL referees. Particular thanks to Paul Hirschbühler for discussion and critical examples. Thanks also to the numerous other French speakers who provided judgements.