The following interlinear glossed text data was extracted from a document found on the
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If you use any of the data shown here for research purposes,
be sure to cite ODIN and the source document. Please use the following citation record or variant thereof:
Yoshihisa Kitagawa (2005). PROSODY, SYNTAX AND PRAGMATICS OF WH-QUESTIONS IN JAPANESE.
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~ykling/kitagawaELdist.pdf
(Last accessed 2009-07-23).
ODIN: http://odin.linguistlist.org/igt_raw.php?id= 2607&langcode=jpn (2021-09-30).
Example #1:
(1) (?)~??John-wa [ Mary-ga nani-o katta-kadouka ] shiritagatte-iru-no?
-Top -Nom what-Acc bought- CompWthr want.to.know-CompWh
'What1 does John want to know [ whether Mary bought t1 ]?' (Watanabe (1992:256-2
Example #2:
(2) a. DAre-ga yoku ohiru-ni ramen-o toru-no
who-Nom often lunch-for ramen-Acc order- CompWh
'Who often has ramen noodles delivered for lunch?'
Example #3:
b. Jo hn-wa yo ku o hi ru-ni ra men-o toru.
John-Top
'John often has ramen noodles delivered for lunch.'
Example #4:
(5) a. John-wa [ Mary-ga NAni-o eranda-to ] imademo omoikonderu-no
John-Top Mary-Nom what-Acc chose-CompThat still believe-CompWh
'What1 is such that John still believes [ that Mary chose it1 ]?'
Example #5:
b. Keisatsu-wa [ kanojo-ga ano-ban DAre-to atteita-ka ] imademo shirabeteiru-no
-CompWthr -CompWh
night]?'
Example #6:
(7) Jaa chotto zenzen kankeinai koto-o tazuneru-kedo.
then bit at.all unrelated matter-Acc ask-though
'Then, let me ask you about a totally unrelated matter.'
Example #7:
sonna kantanna koto-o daREMO YAROU-TO SHINAkatta.
such easy matter-Acc anyone will.do did.not
'No one was willing to do an easy thing like that.'
Example #8:
kuchi-ni-wa-dasanai
does.not.mention
'Whatever that kid may want to eat, he will not mention it.'
Example #9:
(9) (?)~??John-wa [ Mary-ga nani-o katta-kadouka ] shiritagatte-iru-no?
-Top -Nom what-Acc bought- CompWthr want.to.know-CompWh
'What1 does John want to know [ whether Mary bought t1 ]?' (Watanabe (1992:256-2
Example #10:
(13) a. John-wa [ Mary-ga nani-o katta kadouka ] dare-ni tazuneta-no?
John-Top Mary-Nom what-Acc bought CompWthr who-Dat asked-CompWh
'What1 is such that John asked whom [ whether Mary bought it1 ]?'
Example #11:
b. Keisatsu-wa [ ano-ban Mary-ga DAre-to atteitta-ka ] DAre-ni tazuneta-no
police-TOP that-nightMary-Nom who-with seeing-CompWthr who-Dat asked-CompWh
'Who1 is such that the police asked [ whom whether Mary was with him1 that night
Example #12:
c. Keisatsu-wa [ ano-ban DAre-ga DAre-to atteitta-ka ] kimi-ni tazuneta-no
police-TOP that-night who-Nom who-with seeing-CompWthr you-Dat asked-CompWh
'Who1 is such that the police asked you [ whether he1 was with whom that night ]
Example #13:
(16) a. Un sou sou. miNNA-ni [ DAre-ga DAre-to atteitta-ka ] tazunetandayo.
yes so so everyone-Dat who-Nom who-with seeing-CompWh asked
'Yes. That's right. They asked everyone [ who was with whom that night ].
Example #14:
b. Kanojo-ga JOhn-to atteitta-ka(douka) BIll-ni tazuneta-rashii-desuyo.
she-Nom John-with seeing-CompWthr Bill-Dat asked-seems
'They seem to have asked Bill whether she (= Mary) was with John.'
Example #15:
c. MAry-ga JOhn-to atteitta-ka(douka) tazune-rareta-yo.
Mary-Nom John-with seeing-CompWthr was.asked
'I was asked whether Mary was with John that night.'
Example #16:
(17) [ ano-ban Mary-ga DAre-to atteitta-ka ] keISATSU-WA DAre-ni tazuneta-no
that-night Mary-Nom who-with seeing-CompWh police-TOP who-Dat asked-CompWh
'Whom did the police ask [ whom1 Mary was with t1 that night ]?'
Example #17:
(13) a. John-wa [ Mary-ga nani-o katta kadouka ] dare-ni tazuneta-no?
John-Top Mary-Nom what-Acc bought CompWthr who-Dat asked-CompWh
'What1 is such that John asked whom [ whether Mary bought it1 ]?'
Example #18:
a. John-wa [ Mary-ga NAni-o katta-kadouka ] DAre-ni tazuneta-no?
John-Top Mary-Nom what-Acc bought-CompWthr who-Dat asked-CompWh
'What1 is such that John asked whom [ whether Mary bought it1 ]?'
Example #19:
John-wa DAre-ni [Mary-ga NAni-o katta-kadouka ] tazuneta-no?
John-Top who-Dat Mary-Nom what-Acc bought-CompWthr asked-CompWh
'What1 is such that John asked whom [ whether Mary bought it1 ]?'
Example #20:
(33) *Satou-kun-wa [ Suzuki-kun-ga NAni-o tabeta-kadouka ] oboete-imasu-ka?
Mr. Sato-TOP Mr. Suzuki-Nom what-Acc ate-CompWthr remember-CompWh
'What1 is such that Mr. Sato remembers [ whether or not Mr. Suzuki ate it1 ]?'
Example #21:
kakunin-shiyou-toshiteiru-no?
trying.to.confirm-CompWh
suffered from food poisoning ate it1 ]?'
Example #22:
DAre-to atteita-ka ] tsukitometa-no?
who-with seeing-CompWthr found.out-CompWh
killed ]?'
Example #23:
(41) Tom-wa [ Jane-ga DOno otokonoko-ni denwashiteita-ka ] yatara kinishiteita-no?
Tom-Top Jane-Nom which boy-Dat calling-CompWthr awfully worried-CompWh
'Which boy1 is such that Tom was so anxious about if Jane was calling him1?'
Example #24:
ima-wa [ Mary-ga DOko-de kekkon-suru-ka ] siritagatteiru.
now-Top -Nomwhere get.married-CompWh want.to.know
wants to know where she is getting married.'
Example #25:
(1) (?)~??John-wa [ Mary-ga nani-o katta-kadouka ] shiritagatte-iru-no?
-Top -Nom what-Acc bought- CompWthr want.to.know-Comp Wh
'What1 does John want to know [ whether Mary bought t1 ]?'
Example #26:
(45) Yoshimoto-san-wa joushi-ga dare-o shukkou-saseta-ka toiawasemashita-ka?
Mr/s.Yoshimoto-Topboss-Nom who-Acc send.on.loan-cause-CompWthr asked-CompWh
'Who1 is such that Ms. Yoshimoto asked her boss if that person1 was sent on loan
Example #27:
(2) a. DAre-ga yoku ohiru-ni ramen-o toru-no
who-Nom often lunch-for ramen-Acc order- CompWh
'Who often has ramen noodles delivered for lunch?'
Example #28:
b. John-wa [ Mary-ga NAni-o eranda-to ] imademo omotteiru-no
what-Acc -CompThat -Comp Wh
'What1 does John still think [ that Mary selected t1]?'
Example #29:
a. DAre-ga NAni-o katta-no
who-Nom what-Acc bought-Comp Wh
'Who bought what?'
Example #30:
a. #John-wa [ DAre-ga NAni-o katta-to ] To m-ni omowaseta-no
John-Top who-Nom what-Acc bought-CompThat Tom-Dat made.believe-CompY /N
'*Did John make Tom believe that who bought what?'
Example #31:
b. John-wa [ DAre-ga NAni-o katta-to ] Tom-ni omowaseta-no
John-Top who-Nom what-Acc bought-CompThat Tom-Dat made.believe-Comp Wh
'Who1 is such that John made Tom believe [ that she1 bought what ]?'