Syntactic annotation – wh-phrases

There are four types of wh-phrase:

• WADJP
• WADVP
• WNP
• WPP

A wh-phrase is projected whenever we have a wh-word..

The internal structure of wh-phrases is in principle identical to that of their non-wh-counterparts (ADJP, ADVP, NP etc.). However the content of a wh-phrase can often be 0, indicating an `empty’ operator.

WADJP

A WADJP with overt content is common in embedded interrogatives (CP-QUE). The ADJP is traced into the IP-SUB:

(IP-MAT ...
        (CP-QUE (WADJP-1 (AVW wo)
                         (ADJD swaer))
                 (IP-SUB (ADJP-PRD *T*-1)
                         (NP-SBJ (DDARTA de)
                                 (NA sunde))
                         (PP (APPR vor)
                             (NP (NA gode))
                         (VVFIN weer))))
)

WADVP

A WADVP with overt content is common in embedded interrogatives (CP-QUE). The ADVP is traced into the IP-SUB:

(IP-MAT (NP-SBJ (DPDS Dit))
        (VVFIN is)
        (CP-QUE (WADVP-1 (AVW waer))
                (IP-SUB  (ADVP *T*-1)
                         (NP-SBJ (NE Adam))
                         (ADVP (AVD erst))
                         (VVPP ghemaket)
                         (WAFIN woerd)))
...
)

A WADVP with overt content is also common in relative causes (CP-REL). Again, the ADVP is traced into the IP-SUB:

(NP-OB1 (DDARTA den)
        (NA ortsprunck)
        (CP-REL (WADVP-1 (PAVREL dar))
                (IP-SUB  (NP-SBJ (PPER du))
                         (PP (ADVP *T*-1)
                             (PAVAP van)
                         (VVPP ghekamen)
                         (VAFIN byst))))
)

wen projects a WADJP when it introduces an adverbial clause (CP-ADVP). The ADVP is traced into the IP-SUB:

(IP-MAT (KON vnde)
        (NP-SBJ (PPER yck))
        (PTKNEG nicht)
        (PP (ADVP (PAVD dar))
            (PAVAP vp))
        (VVPP gedacht)
        (VAFIN hadde)
        (CP-ADV (WADVP-1 (AVW wen))
                (IP-SUB (ADVP-TMP *T*-1)
                        (NP-SBJ (PPER ik))
                        (NP-OB1 (PPER id))
                        (PTKN suluen)
                        (PTKNEG nicht)
                        (VVPP geseen)
                        (VAFIN hadde)))
)

 

WNP

A WNP with overt content is common in embedded interrogatives (CP-QUE). The WNP is traced into the IP-SUB:

(CP-QUE (WNP-1 (DPWS wath))
        (IP-SUB (NP-SBJ *T*-1)
                (VVFIN duncket)
                (NP-OB2 (PPER dy))
                (PP (APPR van)
                    (NP (DPOSA myner)
                        (NA brud))))
)

A WNP with overt content commonly occurs in relative causes (CP-REL). The WNP is traced into the IP-SUB:

(NP-OB1 (DPOSA syne)
        (ADJA erste)
        (NA brud)
        (CP-REL (WNP-2 (DPRELS de))
                (IP-SUB (NP-SBJ *T*-2)
                        (NP-OB2 (PPER eme))
                        (PTKNEG nicht)
                        (ADJP-PRD (ADJD edel)
                                  (AVD ghenoch))
                        (PTKNEG en)
                        (VVFIN was)))
)

WPP

A WPP with overt content is common in embedded interrogatives (CP-QUE). The WPP is traced into the IP-SUB:

(CP-QUE (WPP-1 (WADVP (PAVW waer))
               (PAVAP vmme))
        (IP-SUB (PP *T*-1)
                (NP-OB2 (PPER vns))
                (NP-OB1 (DDARTA den)
                        (DPOSA syn))
                (VVPP verleent)
                (VAFIN heft))
)

A WPP with overt content can also occur in relative clauses (CP-REL). The WPP is traced into the IP-SUB:

(CP-REL (WPP-1 (WADVP (PAVREL dar))
               (PAVAP mede))
        (IP-SUB (PP *T*-1)
                (NP-SBJ (PPER ick))
                (VVINF kamen)
                (VMFIN mochte)
                (PP (APPR to)
                    (NP (DPOSA myner)
                        (ADJA begerliken)
                        (NA leue))))
)