The nature of Chinese Wh-questions

The scope properties of Chinese Wh-elements, which are in situ in the syntax, are usually accounted for by assuming that they are raised at LF as operators. Not only does such an account rely on costly stipulations but it also fails to generalize to Whelements which are not XPs. The proposal here is that Wh-elements be treated as variables bound by aquestion (Q) operator which assigns scope to the Wh-elements in its domain. The Q operator can be attached to a verb and realized as the A-not-A form of the verb when there is no Wh-element in its domain. The Q operator, including the one realized as the A-not-A verb form, is raised at LF to satisfy selectional restrictions and its movement is regulated by the standard constraints. The scope properties of Wh-elements and the distribution of A-not-A verbs are accounted for within the current theoretical framework without further stipulation.