Abstract

The paper presents an analysis of the German quantifying question particles (QQPs) w-so and w-alles. It is shown that the syntactic position of these particles, i.e. their formal association with a particular wh-item, is relevant for their semantic representation, contrary to claims in Beck (1996). The effects of syntactic structure on semantic interpretation are captured by treating QQPs as modifiers on structured propositions that place additional restrictions on the question domain introduced by the wh-item: w-so introduces a plurality condition on the answer space, whereas w-alles has two meaning components: next to adding a plurality condition, it indicates that the question requires an exhaustive answer. The existence of explicit markers of exhaustiveness in wh-questions has important consequences for the analysis of wh-questions as inherently exhaustive (Groenendijk & Stokhof 1982, 1984) or not (Beck & Rullmann 1999).

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.