The apparent absence of superiority effects in Yorùbá multiple wh-constructions

Soyombo, Àjọkẹ́ (2022) The apparent absence of superiority effects in Yorùbá multiple wh-constructions. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This study investigates the syntactic structures of wh-constructions in interrogative constructions in Yorùbá. The study's primary objective is to determine whether superiority effects are absent or present in wh-constructions. Chomsky's (1995) Minimalist Program has been utilized as the theoretical framework for this study. The research was conducted by implementing syntactic processes in order to investigate and describe Yorùbá wh-question formations. The results of the Yorùbá data analyzed show that, to form wh-questions, Yorùbá wh-words front to the sentence initial position, followed by a focus marker. Yorùbá is argued to permit the fronting of only one wh-phrase; other wh-phrases (if any) must remain in situ. Contrary to Adésolá’s (2005, 2006) assertion that wh-phrases are base generated in their surface position in Yorùbá, resulting in no superiority violations, I argue here that wh-constructions in Yorùbá involve genuine syntactic movement. It is demonstrated that wh-movement in the language, which has been standardly described as being insensitive to the superiority condition, does, in fact, exhibit observable superiority effects.

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