The Typology of <i>Wh</i>‐Movement, <i>Wh</i>‐Questions in Malay

Abstract

This article investigates the complex facts of Malay wh‐ questions, and suggests a theory of how Malay wh‐ questions fit into the typology of wh‐ questions permitted by a Minimalist conception of Universal Grammar. The paper examines the principles that account for overt wh‐ movement, wh‐ in‐situ and partial wh‐ movement in Malay. We argue that the apparent optionality seen in Malay reduces to whether, in the lexicon, a question word consists of an operator and variable combined in a single word, or of a variable bound by a separate, phonologically null operator. We then apply the analysis based on Malay to other languages (primarily, to Chinese and English), and show that the principles employed for Malay are sufficient to explain the variation in wh‐ question formation among these languages.