What's 'what' in French questions

The analysis of French 'what' questions poses a number of difficulties. The se questions exhibit numerous peculiarities, especially when they involve a subject wh-phrase. It is argued that the anomalous paradigm derives from t hree independent factors. The first is linked to the general status of matr ix subject wh-phrases and the position they occupy at the interface levels. The second relates to the status of que 'what' as a phonological clitic. T he third is argued to derive from the difference between strong quoi 'what' and weak que with respect to specificity. Once the interaction of these fa ctors is taken into account, the unusual paradigm is completely explained.