Wh-parameter and the position of the question words in Libyan dialects

Abstract EN

This study investigates the conformity of question words in Libyan dialects to those of the principles and parameters of the universal grammar as proposed by mentalism theory.

UG says that all human languages contain a set of parameters which are set according to the type of the input that the child is exposed to.

It is this variation of the binary parameters that result in these different languages.

For example, wh-questions in English move to the beginning while in China they remain in their position, Radford 1997).

The movement and the position of wh- words in Libyan dialects are investigated on three types of sentences, nominal sentences (NS), verbal sentences (VS) and verbless sentences (V), besides two-verb sentences and embedded sentences.

The researcher tried every possible way of changing into questions.

It appeared that there are some variations in forming questions for a sentence.

In some cases, there are nine different ways of forming questions for the same sentence.

It also showed that the position of wh- questions can be at the beginning, after the subject, and at the end.

In addition, five strategies to form wh-questions are observed, three involve fronted wh- constituent, the gap strategy, the resumptive strategy, and the Class II resumptive strategy, the fourth is in-situ, and the fifth after-subject position.