Whclauses

Wh-clauses are subordinate clauses introduced by wh-words such as who, what, where, when, why, or how. They occur in several related constructions: interrogative clauses (direct questions), embedded questions (content questions), and relative clauses that modify a noun. Examples include What did you see? (direct question), I wonder what you saw (embedded question), and the book that you read (relative clause).

In many languages, wh-clauses involve wh-movement, where the wh-word moves to the clause’s left edge, leaving a gap or trace in its original position. This movement allows the clause to be interpreted as a question or as a relative modifier. Some languages employ wh-in-situ, placing the wh-word in its underlying position and signaling the interrogative reading through intonation or particles rather than fronting.

Wh-clauses interact with various syntactic phenomena. Pied-piping is a common pattern in which the wh-word takes along its complement during movement (for example, with whom). The semantics of wh-clauses often involves scope and binding considerations, leading to potential ambiguities when multiple wh-terms are present.

Extraction of wh-words is constrained by island constraints, which prohibit certain extractions from within complex noun phrases, adjuncts, or sentential complements. Some languages also use resumptive pronouns as an alternative strategy when wh-formation is difficult.

Cross-linguistically, wh-clauses exhibit variation in the inventory of wh-words, the availability of movement versus in-situ strategies, and the presence of dedicated complementizers for embedded questions. They are a central topic in syntax and semantics, informing theories of movement, locality, and interpretation.