Abstract :
Chengʹs Clausal Typing Hypothesis (Cheng, L., 1997. On the Typology of Wh-Questions. Garland, New York) predicts that no language should have constituent questions using both wh-in-situ and wh-movement strategies. Malagasy (Austronesian, Madagascar) is a prima facie counterexample to this claim in seemingly allowing both options. In keeping with the Clausal Typing Hypothesis, however, this paper argues that Malagasy, a predicate-initial language, has only wh-in-situ. Apparent examples of wh-movement are pseudoclefts in which the initial wh-phrase is a predicate and the following material is a headless relative clause in subject position. Evidence comes from the predicate status of the wh-phrase, parallels with a similar focus construction, and discontinuous wh-phrases.
