Parametric Variations: A Study of Wh-Movement Parameter in Igbo and English Syntax
Parametric Variations: A Study of Wh-Movement Parameter in Igbo and English Syntax

Summary/Abstract: This study sets out to examine the wh-movement parameter in Igbo and English syntax with the intension to identify the wh-words the two languages employ in expressing wh-questions as well as finding out the differences and similarities that exist in their mode of movement in the syntactic structures. The Igbo language belongs to the West-Benue Congo language family, spoken predominantly in the Southeastern part of Nigeria. The principles and parameters model is the theoretical framework for the study. The study reveals that Igbo allows wh- in-situ questions in the language but English does not. While Igbo permits both the syntactic wh-movement and LF movement, English permits only overt visible obligatory syntactic movement of the wh-words into the [SPEC, CP] position. Both languages share in common leftward movement of wh-words into the [SPEC, CP] position. Igbo has both leftward and right movement of the wh-words while English has only leftward movement in the syntactic structures. The wh-words of the two languages leave traces behind after movement but Igbo has instances of resumptive pronoun traces phenomena in the language. Tone is also a question trigger in Igbo. Binarity principle does not uphold in Igbo because the language shares the properties of having two values of whmovement, that is, [+ wh] and [- wh] in the syntactic structures while English shares only value, that is [+wh]. This study attempts to tone mark all the syllables and this implies that high, low and downstep tones are marked.

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