Non-Interrogative Subordinate Wh-Clauses

This book explores subordinate wh-clauses that lack an interrogative interpretation, such as manner wh-clauses, locative wh-clauses, and headed relatives. It combines cross-linguistic variation with formal semantic and syntactic analyses to provide novel insights into the ways in which wh-phrases can be used to introduce complements, relative clauses, and adverbial clauses. The findings have implications for our understanding of subordination and the relationship between form and meaning in wh-clauses.

Format: Hardback
Length: 560 pages
Publication date: 17 July 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

This comprehensive volume delves into subordinate wh-clauses that do not carry an interrogative interpretation, particularly those in which the wh-word appears to deviate from its literal meaning. These encompass a wide range of constructions, including subordinate manner wh-clauses with a declarative-like meaning, locative wh-clauses that convey types, and headed relatives that act as recognitional cues, among numerous others. While the study of regular interrogative embedding has gained significant attention in recent years, there is limited knowledge about the conditions under which non-interrogative (subordinate) wh-clauses are permitted and the reasons why certain wh-phrases can be multifunctional, while others cannot.

The chapters in this book seamlessly integrate cross-linguistic variation in patterns of subordination with formal semantic and syntactic analyses, utilizing data from a diverse array of languages such as Basque, Czech, English, Mandarin, Romanian, and Taiwan Southern Min. By doing so, they offer novel insights into the various ways in which wh-phrases can be employed to introduce complements, relative clauses, and adverbial clauses, while also demonstrating how the meanings associated with wh-words are exploited beyond their conventional distribution. The findings of this study have profound implications for our understanding of both the broader phenomenon of subordination and the intricate relationship between form and meaning in wh-clauses.

Weight: 964g
Dimension: 240 x 164 x 36 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192844620