A Descriptive Analysis of Movement Patterns of Wh-Questions in Urdu and English Language

Abstract

The present study highlights the differences and similarities between Urdu and English language based on Wh-movement. According to Manetta (2010), Hindi-Urdu exhibits a feature-driven overt Wh-movement to Spec vp, a point from which movement of Wh-word might gain clausal scope. The extent and nature of driven overt Wh-movement will be speculated in the present study by drawing a comparison between Urdu and English language. The use of scope marking to interrogate out of finite complements is contended to postulate a homogeneous idea of the following components involved in the construction of questions in two languages: the propensity of Wh-expressions to appear in preverbal position, the potential of overt long movement, and the employment of Wh-expressions in preverbal point. The study exclaims that Urdu is an in-situ language as it bears the presence of Wh-word at canonical position whereas English is not an in-situ language because it does not bear the presence of Wh-word at middle or end positions. Further, the movement of Wh-words in English is regulatory while the movement of K-words is totally non-regulatory in Urdu language. This study will further help researchers in exploring the movement of Wh-expression in Punjabi language and its similarities with Urdu Wh-movement.