Wh-scope-marking in Tamil

Abstract

This study shows that Tamil exhibits wh-scope-marking constructions that share general properties with those found in other languages such as German and Hindi. In the literature, wh-scope-marking has been analyzed such that the embedded question functions as a restriction on the matrix propositional wh-phrase, with the two forming a constituent in the underlying structure. However, this constituent structure has been motivated solely on semantic grounds and lacks direct syntactic support. I argue that Tamil wh-scope-marking provides syntactic support for the constituency between the matrix wh-phrase and the embedded questoin, using a Proper Binding Condition (PBC) effect as a diagnostic. These findings thus provide empirical support for the constituent structure assumed in previous semantic analyses and help bridge the gap between syntax and semantics in the analysis of wh-scope-marking.