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How to ask and answer them
This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 7 Jun 2017, 00:36.

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Menu 1. Direct, wh-questions 2. Polar questions 3. Interjection questions
[edit] [top]Direct, wh-questions

A set of pronouns and adverbials are used for constructing "wh-questions". When they apply to a single noun or noun phrase they are placed after that it. When they apply to an entire clause they are usually placed at the end of the clause, but may also be placed at the start. Sometimes they function in a "fill in the blank" fashion and are placed in the appropriate place in the clause (this can happen with xo, mlortc, cwoe, etc). The most commonly used term, cwoe, often takes a case ending.

UlyanEnglishFunction
cwoewho/which/whatthings, objects, people, etc.
jvïcwhosepossession
jveirwhereplace, location
clekwhentime
jlailwhyreason, purpose
jgauhowfunction, manner
xohow manynumber, quantity
dortcwhencewhere from
tirtcwhitherwhere to
verchow fardistance
tatartchow oftenfrequency
jleirtcwhich wayroute, direction
mlortcwhat kind oftype


Examples
Edzok ep cwoedo?
[ed-
PASTPast tense (tense)
action occurred before moment of speech
-
zok
see
ep
2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)
cwoe
who
-do
-ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient

Who/what saw you?

Edzok cwoe ab?
[ed-
PASTPast tense (tense)
action occurred before moment of speech
-
zok
see
cwoe
who
ab
2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)
.ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient

Who/what/which did you see?

Edveiv ep tleimdo jvïc mraumo?
ed-
PASTPast tense (tense)
action occurred before moment of speech
-
veiv
give
ep
2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)
tleim
food
-do
-ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient
jvïc
whose
mraum
cat
-mo
-DATDative (case)
indirect object; recipient, beneficiary, location

Whose food did you give to the cat?

Edfuo ep jveir?
ed-
PASTPast tense (tense)
action occurred before moment of speech
-
fuo
go
ep
2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)
jveir
where

Where did you go?

Ovnotc jlail?
ov-
3PThird person plural (person)
neither speaker nor addressee, they/them
>1PFirst person plural (person)
we (inclusive or exclusive)
-
notc
follow
jlail
why

Why are they following us?

Fuo oms verc?
fuo
go
oms
1PFirst person plural (person)
we (inclusive or exclusive)
verc
how_far

How far are we going?

Fuo oms verc?
veiv
give
ep
2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)
petl
apple
-do
-ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient
mlortc
what_kind_of
iam
1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I
.DATDative (case)
indirect object; recipient, beneficiary, location

What kind of apple are you giving me?

[edit] [top]Polar questions

Polar (yes/no) questions are made by adding the interrogative mood affix, (o)wa, to the verb.

A "yes" is given by repeating the verb; a "no" answer by negating the verb with in-. Or, simple yes/no replies can be given with te for yes (from the copula tet) or in for no (from the negative affix in-).

When answering by repeating the verb its form can be altered to give additional information. This can also change the answer, by implication, from yes to no or to something more complex.

If part of the question statement is wrong, the answer can be just the corrected part. For example, Q: Do you eat worms? A: Fish. If "fish" is in the nominative case the reply means "No, fish eat worms." If "fish" is in the accusative case it means "No, I eat fish." If the reply is "ep" ("you-NOM") it means "No, you eat worms." And if the reply is "ab" (you-ACC) it means "No, I eat you."

A different verb may be given as well, meaning the question was correct except with this verb instead of that one.

There is also the interjection ksü, which is placed at the start or end of a statement and serves to ask whether the statement is true or not. See the Interjection question section below, and/or the Interjections article.

Examples:

QUESTION
Mleiswa ep?
eat-INTERRInterrogative mood (mood)
asks questions
2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)
.NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument

You eat?

ANSWER
Mleis.
Yes (I eat).

Te.
Yes.

Inmleis.
No (I don't eat).

In.
No.

QUESTION
Edmleiswa ep?
PASTPast tense (tense)
action occurred before moment of speech
-eat-INTERRInterrogative mood (mood)
asks questions
2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)

You ate?

ANSWER
Edmleis.
Yes (I ate).

Edmleisavo.
PASTPast tense (tense)
action occurred before moment of speech
-eat-OPTOptative (mood)
'wish, hope'

No (I wish I ate).

Edmleisavlu.
PASTPast tense (tense)
action occurred before moment of speech
-eat-DUBDubitative mood (mood)
expresses doubt

Probably not (I doubt I ate).

QUESTION
Ikmleiswa ep?
INCEPInceptive (aspect)
beginning of an action
-eat-INTERRInterrogative mood (mood)
asks questions
2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)

Are you starting to eat?

ANSWER
Usmleis.
CONTContinuative (tense/aspect)
continuous or durational action
-eat
No (I am continuing to eat; was already eating).

QUESTION
Ifemleiswa ep?
FUTFuture (tense)
action occurring after the moment of speech
-CESCessative (aspect)
exiting/ending a state
-eat-INTERRInterrogative mood (mood)
asks questions
2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)

Will you stop eating?

ANSWER
Inemleisk.
NEGNegative (polarity)
not
-CESCessative (aspect)
exiting/ending a state
-eat-ABILAbilitative (mood)
expresses ability

No (I am not able to stop eating).

QUESTION
Mleiskwa?
eat-ABILAbilitative (mood)
expresses ability
-INTERRInterrogative mood (mood)
asks questions

Are you able to eat?

ANSWER
Mleiskavo.
eat-ABILAbilitative (mood)
expresses ability
-OPTOptative (mood)
'wish, hope'

I wish I was able to eat.

QUESTION
Mleisavo ep vleltzli?
eat-OPTOptative (mood)
'wish, hope'
2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)
.NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument
bird-PLPlural (number)
more than one/few
.ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient

Do you want to eat birds?

ANSWER
Vlivzli.
star-PLPlural (number)
more than one/few
.ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient

No, I want to eat stars.

Jmitavo.
catch-OPTOptative (mood)
'wish, hope'

No, I want to catch birds.

[edit] [top]Interjection questions

Some interjections pose questions or serve question-like functions. See the Interjection article for details. Notable question-interjections include:

InterjectionMeaning
ksüQuestion marker; "isn't it?" Added to a statement to make it into a question, "this statement is true, isn't it?"
jmïe"May I speak to X?"
jgiuHuh?
preuWhat? Please repeat.
dlui"May I speak/communicate/have your attention?"


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