Constituent question formation and focus: a new typological perspective.

All languages have strategies which enable speakers to ask constituent (‘wh’-) questions. Of the strategies available, three types based on the notion of movement are usually cited in the literature: in situ, multiple fronting, and simple fronting. However, data reveal that focusing is the defining characteristic of constituent question formation cross-linguistically. This paper therefore adopts a different approach, presenting a unified analysis within the non-derivational framework of Lexical-Functional Grammar which captures the relevant generalisations about focusing and in turn provides a fresh perspective on the typology of constituent question formation strategies. 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]