Wh&wh coordinations

Abstract

The paper examines wh&wh coordinations (wh&wh), arguing that what makes them possible in a language is not the availability of multiple wh-fronting (MWF), as previously assumed, but the availability of an indeterminate system. Such coordinations are argued to involve derivational coordination formation via sideward merger where the affected elements undergo movement before coordination formation, sideward merger being disallowed from interpreted positions. The derivationally formed coordination undergoes movement upon insertion into the structure. The account captures a clause-mate requirement and ordering constraints on elements involved in wh&wh, as well as a single-pair reading restriction. A typological prediction is that since both MWF and wh&wh depend on the availability of an indeterminate system, but in different ways, there should be a good deal of overlap between MWF languages and languages allowing wh&wh but there should still be languages that allow wh&wh but not MWF, which is borne out.