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D-Linked wh-phrase in Arabic: contrast, cliticization and topic values

  • Murdhy Alshamari ORCID logo EMAIL logo and Naif Alshammari
Published/Copyright: May 22, 2025
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Folia Linguistica
From the journal Folia Linguistica

Abstract

Standard assumptions maintain that D-Linked wh-phrases (DLW) presuppose discourse-givenness and contrastiveness being associated to the referent expressed by the wh-associate DP. Developing the characterization of DLW as involving a [TOP] feature, the novelty this contribution advances is that in Hail Arabic, a Najdi variety of Arabic, DLW encodes Familiar Topic [F-Topic], a Topic value that is distinguished within Topics typology, while contrastiveness is not consistently involved in DLW interpretation. Investigating weɪn ‘where-pattern’, we demonstrate that DLW is expressed via cliticization; a mechanism whereby a clitic φ-agreeing with the DP is spelled out on weɪn. Implementing Cartographic and Minimalist assumptions, it is shown that DLW movement, triggered by u-[φ], is Shortest, targeting the outer Spec of PrP. This Shortest movement allows weɪn to φ-probe the DP, an Agree relation that results in lexicalizing the clitic on weɪn, driving weɪn-CL and demotivating peripheral movement of weɪn. The DP receives F-Topic interpretation, valued by v-[F-TOP] on weɪn. Further insight emerges where the DP carries contrastiveness due to u-[CONT], which triggers movement of the DP to the Spec of a C-layer dedicated for Contrastiveness, KontP, stranding weɪn-CL in PrP-domain. The extracted DP receives Contrastive Topic interpretation by the combination of F-Topic and CONTRAST.


Corresponding author: Murdhy Alshamari, Department of English Language, University of Ha’il, Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, E-mail:

Abbreviations

[TOP]

Topic Feature

[C-TOP]

Contrastive Topic Feature

[F-TOP]

Familiar Topic Feature

[φ]

Agreement feature(s)

[δ]

Discourse feature

[Q]

Question feature

[CONT]

Contrastiveness Feature

[WH]

Wh-feature

KONT

Kontrast feature

KontP

Contras Phrase

PrP

Predicate Phrase

IntP

Interrogative Phrase

FocP

Focus Phrase

TopP

Topic Phrase

S-A-TopP

Shifting-Aboutness Topic Phrase

LocP

Locative Phrase

C-domain

CP domain

C-layer

CP related layer

DLW

Discourse Linked wh-phrase

FOC

Focus

IF

Information Focus

CF

Contrastive Focus

CT-interpretation

Contrastive Topic interpretation

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Received: 2024-04-24
Accepted: 2025-03-18
Published Online: 2025-05-22

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