Wh-island Construction: Against Uniform LF Movement Hypothesis

Abstract

I claim that Wh-island constraint does not constitute part of Korean grammar. To the extent that the current observation is correct, Huangian account of the phenomena in terms of ECP as crucially based on argument and adjunct dichotomy under the uniform LF wh-movement hypothesis is undermined. I claim that the apparent Wh-island effect for way (why) is indeed due to the pragmatic factor of domain of quantification. I also suggest that the apparent rigid Wh-island effects in Korean may be ascribed to an independent performance factor but not the blocking effect as imposed by the grammar.