in situ 

A term used in GOVERNMENT-BINDING THEORY to describe a CONSTITUENT that stays in its place. For example, wh-in situ refers to a wh-element which cannot be moved because another such element occupies its landing site. In I asked who had driven what, what cannot move because of the presence of who. From this point of view, languages such as Chinese or Japanese are called wh-in situ languages, since they do not require fronting wh-phrases.