Clausal nominalization and embedded questions in Japanese

Abstract

Investigating the structure of nominalized embedded questions (EQs) in Japanese, this paper proposes that they contain nP and DP on top of CP. Previous studies on clausal nominalization argue that CPs are nominalized by directly merging D. However, the availability of prenominal modification indicates that Japanese nominal EQs involve nP and, in some cases, DP. The functional head n nominalizing an interrogative CP is divided into semantically vacuous and semantically active classes. The semantically vacuous n lacks its own denotation but simply converts an interrogative CP into a nominal category. EQs nominalized the semantically active n do not denote pure questions. Some have a structure similar to the noun complement clause that involves a silent noun semantically equivalent to ‘question’ or ‘issue’. Others express possible answers to questions. EQs nominalized by the semantically active n project up to DP. The blocking effect on extraction and the co-occurrence with a pronoun support the presence of the DP layer. The presence of the DP in Japanese EQs suggests that the NP/DP-dichotomy advocated by Bošković (2005; 2008; 2009) can be relaxed. Japanese is a hybrid language. While it is similar to NP-languages in that it does not have overt articles, its noun phrase still involves the DP layer.