wh-clause(wh从句):以 wh- 疑问词(如 what, who, which, when, where, why, how)引导的从句。它既可以用于直接疑问(问句),也常用于间接疑问或名词性从句(在句中充当主语、宾语、表语等)。在语法学里也常把含 how 的从句一并归入 wh-clause。
/ˈwʌ klɔːz/
A wh-clause can begin with what, where, or why.
wh-从句可以以 what、where 或 why 开头。
What she said surprised everyone is a wh-clause functioning as the subject of the sentence.
“What she said surprised everyone” 是一个充当句子主语的 wh-从句。
wh- 来自英语中一组以 wh 拼写开头的疑问词(历史上与古英语的疑问/关系代词系统有关);clause 源自拉丁语 clausula(“句子/从句、小段落”),与 claudere(“关闭、闭合”)同源,暗示“语法上相对完整的一段结构”。