Universal #1637

Legacy number: 1637

 Number  1632
 Original  In polysynthetic languages, interrogative phrases are constrained to appear in clause-initial position.
 Standardized  IF there is polysynthesis, THEN interrogative phrases are constrained to appear in clause-initial position (through WH-movement).
 Formula  polysynthesis ⇒ Wh-movement
 Keywords  polysynthesis, interrogative, wh-movement
 Domain  morphology, syntax
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  statistical
 Basis  Polysynthetic languages like Mohawk (Iroquoian), Nahuatl (Uto-Aztecan), Kiowa (Kiowa- Tanoan), Gunwinjguan (Gunwingguan, Australian), Wichita (Caddoan), Chukchi (Chukchi-Kamchatkan), Ainu (isolate). Non-polysynthetic languages like Greenlandic (Eskimo-Aleut), Lakhota (Siouan), Slave (Athabaskan), Alamblak (Sepik-Ramu), Chichewa (Bantoid, Niger-Congo), Choctaw (Muskogean)
 Source  Baker 1996: 72

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Discussion
Notes
Baker defines polysynthetic languages as typically being head-marked and having free word order. His finding that polysynthetic languages are prone to have WH-movement is contrasted by the generalization by Bach (#1638) that interrogative phrases are usually in situ in pure head-final languages.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Baker defines polysynthetic languages as typically being head-marked and having free word order. His finding that polysynthetic languages are prone to have WH-movement is contrasted by the generalization by Bach (<a class="innerLink" href="browse.php?entry_id=1638"><img src="../img/entry.gif" border="0">) that interrogative phrases are usually in situ in pure head-final languages.