User:Ehkang/sandbox
Mandarin Chinese
[edit]Mandarin is a wh-in-situ language, which means that it does not exhibit wh-movement in constituent questions[1]. In other words, wh-words in Mandarin remain at the end of the sentence, contrasting with wh-movement in English where the wh-word would move in constituent questions.
In-situ
[edit]The following example illustrates multiple wh-movement in Mandarin, and is written in pinyin for the sake of simplicity and clarity:
| Example #1 | Ni | xiang | zhidao | Mali | weishenme | maile | shenme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloss | You | want | know | Mary | why | buy-PAST | what |
| Translation | 'What do you wonder why Mary bought it?' | ||||||
This example demonstrates that the wh-word "what" in Mandarin remains in-situ at Surface structure[2], while the wh-word "why" in Mandarin moves to proper scope position and, in doing so, c-commands the wh-word that stays in-situ.
Matrix scope
[edit]The scope of wh-questions in Mandarin is also subject to other conditions depending on the kind of wh-phrase involved [3]. The following example can translate into two meanings:
| Example #2 | Ni | xiang | zhidao | shei | maile | shenme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloss | You | want | know | who | buy-PAST | what |
| Translation | 'What is the thing x such that you wonder who bought x?'
'Who is the person x such that you wonder what x bought?' | |||||
This example illustrates the way certain wh-words such as "who" and "what" can freely obtain matrix scope in Mandarin[4].
Attract Closest
[edit]In reference to the Attract Closest principle, where the head adopts the closest candidate available to it, the overt wh-phrase in Mandarin moves to proper scope position while the other wh-phrase stays in-situ as it is c-commanded by the wh-phrase first mentioned[5]. This can be seen in the following example, where the word for "what" stays in-situ since it is c-commanded by the phrase in Mandarin meaning "at where":
| Example #3 | Ni | xiang | zhidao | Mali | zai nali | maile | shenme |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gloss | You | want | know | Mary | at where | buy-PAST | what |
| Translation | 'What is the thing x such that you wonder where Mary bought x?'
'Where is the place x such that you wonder what Mary bought at x?' | ||||||
As these examples show, Mandarin is a wh-in-situ language, exhibits no movement of wh-phrases at Surface structure, is subject to other conditions based on the type of wh-phrase involved in the question, and adheres to the Attract Closest principle.
- ^ Chen, Shuangshuang. "The pragmatic motivation of wh-movement in Mandarin Chinese The pragmatic motivation of wh-movement 1 in Mandarin Chinese".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Rudin, Catherine (1988). "On Multiple Questions and Multiple Wh Fronting" (PDF). Natural Language and Linguistic Theory. 6: 445–501 – via University of Chicago.
- ^ Cheng, Lisa Lai-Shen. Wh-in-situ.
- ^ Soh, Hooi Ling (Winter 2005). "Wh-in-Situ in Mandarin Chinese". Linguistic Inquiry. 36 – via Project MUSE.
- ^ Cheng, Lisa Lai-Shen. "Wh-in-situ" (PDF).
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help)