Studi Slavistici XXII (2025) 1
Articoli

Nonstandard wh-Questions: Focusing on Bulgarian wh-li Questions

Margarita Dimitrova
University of Porto
Bio

Published 2025-07-18

Abstract

This paper examines nonstandard wh-questions in Bulgarian, with a focus on wh-li constructions, in which the wh-constituent co-occurs with the interrogative particle li. The distribution of li in Bulgarian interrogatives has been widely discussed, as its behavior in yes-no and wh-questions reveals intriguing asymmetries. While in wh-questions li conveys a strong sense of wondering or doubt, in yes-no questions the particle is crucial to the interrogative interpretation – its absence yielding a presuppositional reading. In light of these contrasts, we propose that particles like li are related to quantification and the presence of alternative sets. Based on this property, we argue that the appearance of li in wh-questions triggers semantic mechanisms such as domain extension. Additionally, drawing on prior analyses of non-canonical questions in Romance languages, we suggest that the licensing of nonstandard wh-li questions involves structurally higher projections within the Left Periphery.

References

  1. Ambar 1985: M. Ambar, Sobre a Estrutura dos Constituintes Interrogativos, “Actas do i Encontro da Associação Portuguesa de Linguística. apl”, 1985, pp. 247-262.
  2. Ambar 1988: M. Ambar, Para uma Sintaxe da Inversão Sujeito-Verbo em Português. phd dissertation, University of Lisbon 1988.
  3. Ambar 2003: M. Ambar, Wh-asymmetries, in: A.M. Di Sciullo (ed.). Asymmetry in Grammar, Amsterdam 2003, pp. 208-249.
  4. Ambar, Veloso 2001: M. Ambar, R, Veloso, On the nature of Wh-phrases – word order and Wh-in-situ, in: Y. Hulst, J. Rooryck, J. Schroten (eds.), Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 1999, Amsterdam 2001, pp. 1-37.
  5. Bošković 1999: Ž. Bošković, On multiple feature-checking: Multiple wh-fronting and multiple head movement, in: S. Epstein, N. Hornstein (eds.), Working minimalism 1999, Cambridge (ma) 1999, pp. 159-187.
  6. Bošković 2002: Ž. Bošković, On multiple wh-fronting. “Linguistic Inquiry”, xxxiii, 2002, 3, pp. 351-383
  7. Bošković 2007: Ž. Bošković, A note on wh-typology, in: P. Kosta, L. Schürcks (eds.), Linguistic investigations into formal description of Slavic linguistics. Contributions of the Sixth European Conference held at Potsdam University, Frankfurt am Main 2007, pp. 159-170.
  8. Cheng, Rooryck 2000: L. Cheng, J. Rooryck, Licensing wh-in-situ, “Syntax”, 2000, 3, pp. 1-19.
  9. Chomsky 1994: N. Chomsky. Bare Phrase Structure, in: G. Webelbuth (ed.), Government and Binding Theory and the Minimalist Program, Oxford 1994, pp. 383-439.
  10. Cinque 1999: G. Cinque, Adverbs and functional heads: a cross-linguistic perspective. New York 1999.
  11. den Dikken, Giannakidou 2002: M. den Dikken, A. Giannakidou, From hell to polarity: aggressively non-D-linked Wh-phrases as polarity items, “Linguistic Inquiry”, xxxiii, 2002, pp. 31-61.
  12. Dimitrova 2020: M. Dimitrova On the syntax of yes-no questions in Bulgarian and Portuguese, phd dissertation, University of Lisbon 2020.
  13. Dobrovie-Sorin 1994: C. Dobrovie-Sorin, The Syntax of Romanian. Berlin 1994.
  14. Dukova-Zheleva 2010: G. Dukova-Zheleva, Questions and Focus in Bulgarian., phd dissertation, University of Ottawa 2010.
  15. Etxepare, Uribe-Etxebarria 2005: R. Etxepare, M. Uribe-Etxebarria, In-situ wh-phrases in Spanish: locality and quantification, “Recherches Linguistiques de Vincenne”, xxxiii, 2005, pp. 9-34.
  16. Grimshaw 1977: J. Grimshaw, English wh-constructions and the theory of grammar, phd dissertation, University of Massachusetts 1977.
  17. Gunlogson 2002: C. Gunlogson, Declarative questions, “Proceedings of Semantics and Linguistics Theory”, xii, 2002, pp. 144-163.
  18. Hamblin 1973: C. Hamblin, Questions in Montague English. “Foundations of Language”, x, 1973, pp. 41-53.
  19. Holmberg 2012: A. Holmberg, On the Syntax of Yes and No in English, “Newcastle Working Papers in Linguistics”, xviii, 2012, pp. 52-72.
  20. Holmberg 2016: A. Holmberg, The syntax of Yes and No, Oxford 2016.
  21. Horvath 1986: J. Horvath. Focus in the theory of grammar and the syntax of Hungarian, Dordrecht 1986.
  22. Izvorski 1995: R. Izvorski, Wh-movement and focus movement in Bulgarian, in: R. Eckardt, V. van Geenhoven (eds.), Proceedings of the Second Conference of the Student Organization of Linguistics in Europe, The Hague 1995, pp. 54-67.
  23. Karttunen 1977: L. Karttunen, Syntax and semantics of questions, “Linguistics and Philosophy”, i, 1977, pp. 3-44.
  24. Kato, Raposo 1996: M. Kato, E. Raposo, European and Brazilian portuguese word order: questions, focus and topic constructions, in: C. Parodi, C. Quicoli, M. Saltarelli, M.L. Zubizarreta (eds). Aspects of Romance Linguistics.Selected Papers from the lsrl xxvi, Washington 1996, pp. 267-278.
  25. Kayne 1991: R. Kayne, Romance clitics, Verb Movement and pro. “Linguistic Inquiry”, xxii, 1991, 4, pp. 647 686.
  26. Krapova 2021: I. Krapova. Complementizers and particles inside and outside of the left periphery: The case of Bulgarian revisited, in: B. Wiemer, B. Sonnenhauser (eds.), Berlin-Boston 2021, pp. 211-269.
  27. Munaro, Obenauer 1999: N. Munaro, H-G. Obenauer, On underspecified wh-elements in pseudo-interrogatives, “University of Venice Working Papers in Linguistics”, xii, 1999, pp. 181-253.
  28. Munaro et al. 2001: N. Munaro, C. Poletto, J-Y. Pollock, Eppur si Muove: On comparing French and Bellunese Wh-Movement, “Linguistic Variation Yearbook”, i, 2001, 1, pp. 147-180.
  29. Obenauer 2004: H-G. Obenauer, Nonstandard Wh-questions and alternative checkers in Pagotto, in: H. Lohnstein, S. Trissler (eds.), Syntax and Semantics of the Left Periphery, Interface Explorations, Berlin-New York 2004, pp. 343- 383.
  30. Obenauer 2006: H-G. Obenauer, Special Interrogatives – Left Periphery, Wh-Doubling, and (Apparently) Optional Elements, in: J. Doetjes, P. Gonzalves (eds.), Romance Languages and Linguistic Theory 2004 - Selected Papers from ‘Going Romance 2004’, Amsterdam 2004, pp. 247-273.
  31. Pesetsky 1987: D. Pesetsky, Wh-in-situ: movement and unselective binding, in: E. Reuland, A. ter Meulen (eds.), The representation of(in)definiteness, Cambridge (ma) 1987, pp. 98-129.
  32. Rizzi 1997: L. Rizzi, The Fine Structure of the Left Periphery, in: L. Haegeman (ed.), Elements of Grammar. Handbook of Generative Syntax, Dordrecht 1997, pp. 281-337.
  33. Rudin 1986: C. Rudin, Aspects of Bulgarian Syntax: Complementizers & Wh Constructions, Bloomingron 1986.
  34. Rudin et al. 1999: C. Rudin, C. Kramer, L. Billings, M. Baerman. Macedonian and Bulgarian li Questions: Beyond Syntax, “Natural language and Linguistic Theory”, xvii, 1999, pp. 541-586.
  35. Rudin, Rudin 2022: C Rudin, D. Rudin, On Rising Intonation in Balkan Slavic, “Journal of Slavic Linguistics”, xxx, 2022, pp. 1-10.
  36. Szabolcsi 2015: A. Szabolcsi, What do quantifier particles do? “Linguistics and Philosophy”, xxviii, 2015, pp. 159-204.
  37. Zanuttini, Portner 2003: R. Zanuttini, P. Portner, Exclamative clauses: at the syntax-semantics interface, “Language”, lxxix, 2003, pp. 39-81.