Multiple Wh-Question in Arabic

Abstract

The main concern of this paper is to investigate the syntactic properties of multiple wh-Questions in Arabic. An adequate account for handling this important phenomenon in the grammar mi Archie ‘Will be proposed, It will be shown that in addition to S-structure and D- structure, Arabic possesses a third level of representation, that is, logical form (LF). It will be argued that while wh-movement at S- structure is a substitution process, at LF it is an adjunction process. It will also be demonstrated that the Empty Category Principle at LF plays a crucial role in explaining the well - formedness conditions placed on the generation and movement of multiple wh-questions in Arabic.