Superiority Effects In English Multiple-Wh Interrogatives: An OT Account

The movement operation is a pervasive phenomenon in languages. So far, the list of the movement operation research in Transformational Generative Grammar includes DP-movement, Heavy NP Shift, Topicalization, Quantifier Raising, Head Movement and Wh-movement, aiming at determining and characterizing universal properties of languages and the range of the possible language variation. Wh-movement is where the linguists practicing in Transformational Generative Grammar are interested because of its complexity and variation, and it stands at a significant place in the phases of Phrase Structure, Principles and Parameters and Minimalist Program. In this paper, the new perspective of OT syntax is adopted by incorporating the Thematic Hierarchy and the Respecting Hierarchy of Head Adjacency into Grimshaw (1997)'s OT model of constraints on Wh-movement in single-wh questions, with an aim to make a more convincing interpretation for superiority effects embodied in the subject-object, adjunct-object, and double object asymmetry in English multiple wh-questions.Superiority effects have been documented as the kind of phenomenon, where one wh-phrase is superior to other wh-elements in the same multiple-wh interrogative in light of movement. In English, this phenomenon is mainly shown in subject-object, adjunct-object...