In this work-in-progress, I explore a variable-free approach to composing questions. Drawing inspiration from Jacobson's (1999) variable-free analysis of pronouns, I treat wh-expressions as identity functions and compose wh-containing strings through a variant of the Geach rule and generalized functional application. This analysis preserves the merits of traditional categorial approaches in accounting for a range of empirical data (summarized in Xiang 2021) while being advantageous in tackling functionality, wh-insitu, and pied-piping. Significantly, this approach resolves the type-mismatch challenge inherent in categorial approaches when handling the composition of question coordinations (e.g., Jane knows [who came and who bought what]). Time permitting, I will introduce a compatible analysis for composing polar and alternative questions and discuss some open issues on tucking-in and superiority.
Jacobson, Pauline. 1999. Towards a variable-free semantics. Linguistics and Philosophy 22:117–185.
Xiang, Yimei. 2021. A hybrid categorial approach to question composition. Linguistics and Philosophy 44:587–647.