4.3.1. The Verb-adjacency requirement

Both adjunct and argument wh-phrases in Romanian show obligatory adjacency with the verbal complex (i.e., verbal head and clitic cluster).  Consider the examples in (8);

(8)     a.  Pe   cine     (* la tine)     ai                 chemat      (la tine)?       

              PE    who      (at you)        AUX.2SG      called        (at you)

              ‘Whom did you invite to your place?’

b.  (Mîine)        Cine  (*mîine)         nu    mai    pleacă            (mîine)?

        (tomorrow)  who   (*tomorrow)   not   more  leave.3SG.PR (tomorrow)

        ‘Who isn’t leaving tomorrow anymore?’

    c.  Cui             (*deja)      ai                 telefonat    (deja)?

        whom.DAT. (*already)  AUX.2SG        phoned      (already)?

        ‘Whom did you already call?’

d.  (La Toronto)   Cînd    (*la Toronto)     plecăm              (la Toronto)?

     (at Toronto)    when    (*at Toronto)     leave.1PL.PR      (at Toronto)

     ‘When do we leave for Toronto?’

e.  (Ion)   Cu ce               (* Ion)  te-a                              supărat (Ion)?

     (Ion)   with what          (* Ion)CL.2SG.ACC-AUX.3SG         upset    (Ion)

     ‘What did Ion upset you with?’

f.   (Pe Mihai)      Cum    (* pe Mihai)      l-ai                   

     (PE Mihai)       how      (*PE Mihai)       CL.3SG.ACC.M-AUX.2SG

              hotărît             (pe Mihai)         să         vină?

     convinced       (PE Mihai)         SUBJ.     come

     ‘How did you convince Mihai to come?’

The examples in (8) show that wh-movement proceeds to a position that is adjacent to the verbal complex, with no constituent allowed to intervene between the wh-phrase and the verbal complex.