Editing Wh-movement (section)

=== German ===
German does not show the expected effects of the superiority condition during clauses with multiple wh-phrases. German appears to have a process that allows the farther wh-phrase to "cross over" the closer wh-phrase and move, not remaining in-situ.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|last=Fanselow, Féry|first=Gisbert, Caroline|title=Missing Superiority Effects: Long Movement in German (and other languages)*|url=http://lingo.stanford.edu/sag/papers/fanselow07.pdf}}</ref> This movement is tolerated and has less consequences than when compared with English.<ref name=":12" />

For example, see the following German phrases:

{{interlinear|number=a.
|Ich weiß nicht, wer was gesehen hat
|I know not, who what seen has
|"I do not know who saw what"}}

{{interlinear|number=b.
|Ich weiß nicht, was wer gesehen hat
|I know not, what who seen has
|"I do not know what who has seen"}}

In a., the gloss shows that the wh-phrase [what] has "crossed over" wh-phrase [who] and is now in Spec-CP to satisfy the [+Q Wh] feature. This movement is a violation of the attract closest principle, which is what the superiority condition is based upon.