A’-dependencies in French

French has several optional strategies for the formation of wh-interrogatives, whereas relative clauses (RCs) do not display this optionality. In a comprehension study with French-speaking children aged 5 to 8, we show that two factors interact in the processing of object A’-dependencies in child French: (a) the optionality of having the object in an ex-situ or in-situ position and (b) the featural make-up of the object. This is the first comprehension study that explores the effect of structural complexity (ex-situ vs. in-situ) coupled with featural specification of wh-constituents (−NP vs. +NP) across different types of A’-dependencies in French (wh-questions vs. RCs). As such, our study complements previous production studies on the developmental order of these structures in French children.

Published online: 06 November 2013
https://doi.org/10.1075/rllt.5.01ben