Wh-the-hell as a polarity-insensitive, speaker-oriented domain restrictor
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3765/salt.v30i0.4824Abstract
I argue for a reanalysis of "wh-the-hell" questions as restrictions on the domain of alternatives, rather than polarity items or domain extensions. This analysis returns to their original characterization as "aggressively non-D-linked" by specifying what it means to be D-linked, and in doing so captures a number of otherwise unconnected properties of such questions without positing extraneous features. Consequences of the proposal include a new notion of question-specific contextuality, evidence for an inquisitive semantic condition on sluicing, and a potential general discourse restriction on wh-movement.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Articles appearing in SALT are published under an author agreement with the Linguistic Society of America and are made available to readers under a Creative Commons Attribution License.