An analysis of prosodic F-effects in interrogatives: Prosody, syntax and semantics

This paper provides a prosodic, syntactic and semantic analysis of prosodic F-effects in interrogatives. It is argued that alternative questions involve a question-related F-feature on the alternatives, and that the sentence stress on the wh-word in echo questions is due to a wh-word inherent F-feature. These cases, like Japanese wh-in situ questions, show a full prosodic F-effect (attraction of sentence stress). German and English wh-questions show a reduced prosodic F-effect on the wh-phrase in situ and no prosodic F-effect on moved wh-phrases (in single-wh-questions). Surprisingly, the wh-phrase in situ shows evidence of percolation of F to the wh-phrase. These effects are related to a postulated relation of l-agreement that connects the Q-marker to one or more wh-phrases. Evidence for the agreement relation is that it can be blocked by an intervening wh-phrase construed with another Q-marker, with striking prosodic consequences. An account at the syntax–semantic interface is suggested, in which F can be interpreted relative to the Q-marker and replaces the feature wh. Semantically, F in interrogatives connects expressions to the interrogative interpretation. Absence of F on moving wh-phrases (but not on others) provides evidence that these rely on a different mechanism of construal with the Q-marker.