Wh- question formation in Krachi

Wh- question formation in Krachi

Author: 
Torrence, Harold
Publisher: 
De Gruyter Mouton
Date published: 
2015
Record type: 
Responsibility: 
Kandybowicz, Jason, jt. author
Journal Title: 
Journal of African Languages and Linguistics
Source: 
Journal of African Languages and Linguistics, Vol. 36, No. 2, Dec 2015, pp. 253-285
Abstract: 

This article describes wh- question formation in Krachi, an under-documented and threatened Kwa language of the North Guang branch of the Tano phylum. Krachi employs a variety of wh- question formation strategies, including the regionally and genetically prevalent strategies of wh- movement and wh- in-situ, as well as partial wh- movement, a highly marked phenomenon in Kwa. Based on fieldwork, we investigate the properties of each question formation strategy, focusing on the distribution of interrogative items and the constraints imposed upon interrogatives across each strategy. We compare these properties in Krachi with those in Akan, the most thoroughly studied Tano language, and find that although there are some similarities, the majority of the features defining Krachi wh- question formation are absent in Akan.

Language: 

CITATION: Torrence, Harold. Wh- question formation in Krachi . : De Gruyter Mouton , 2015. Journal of African Languages and Linguistics, Vol. 36, No. 2, Dec 2015, pp. 253-285 - Available at: https://library.au.int/wh-question-formation-krachi-1