MatrixDoc_WhQuestions

Minimal documentation for the Matrix Constituent Questions library

The constituent questions library provides support for a range of syntactic patterns associated with constructions like:

(1) Who did what where?

(2) What did you think Kim did?

(3) Do you know who arrived?

(4) I don't know who arrived.

...and similar.

Typological scope

The library covers some of the fronting patterns including no fronting (in situ) (1)--(3), question particles (3), morphological marking (4), and special question verbs (5).

(1) Who did what where? [eng]

(2) Kto kogda kogo videl?
    who when  whom saw
    "Who saw whom and when?" [rus]

(3) Mary John nanio yonda to   itta no
    Mary John what  read  that said Q
    "What did Mary say John read?" [jpn]

(4) qodo lʔe-t-о̄
    what be-FUT-ITRG-1PL
    "What shall we do? (lit.: "What will we become?") [yux]

(5) req-ərkənəm  igirkej gənin ekək?
    do.what-PROG now     your  son
    "What is your son doing now?" [ckt]     

Relevant Questionnaire portions

The best way to figure out how to fill out the questionnaire is probably by uploading the choices files from the wh- regression tests on the Matrix website. All of the typological combinations which were tested will be (by definition) covered there. All wh- regression test names start with wh, e.g. wh-bxl, wh-dev-rus, or wh-sov-sg-opt.

To summarize:

1. Specify question words on the Lexicon page. Some POS will have a checkbox "interrogative"; check that if you are specifying a question word.

2. Specify question particles on the Yes/No Questions page.

3. Specify all other wh-questions-related things on the Constituent (wh-) Questions page.

Corresponding dissertation (canonical citation) and code snapshot

The most complete information about the library can be found in Olga Zamaraeva's 2021 dissertation:

@phdthesis{zamaraeva-diss,
author={Olga Zamaraeva},
title={Assembling Syntax: A cross-linguistic analysis of constituent questions in a grammar engineering framework},
school={University of Washington},
year={2021}
}

The code snapshot corresponding to the dissertation when it was submitted is committed to Github under tag "Zamaraeva-dissertation".