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alenawitzlack edited this page Jul 1, 2021 · 19 revisions

Is there a clause-final polar interrogative particle?

Summary

In this feature, we are looking for a polar interrogative particle which appears at the end of the clause. The particle should be dedicated to marking questions that ask for the equivalent of an affirmative or negative answer (as opposed to content questions). This particle does not have to be obligatory, and it is sufficient if the particle does not always appear in clause-final position.

Dryer (2013) distinguishes neutral questions from leading questions in the paragraph quoted below. This feature in Grambank concerns neutral questions.

"Many languages have question particles or expressions that indicate that the question is a leading question, one where the speaker has an expectation as to what the answer will be. English, for example, employs what are called "tag-questions" for this purpose, illustrated in (13a), which differ from the neutral question form illustrated in (13b) in that its form indicates that the speaker expects a ‘yes’ answer.

13a. You’re planning to go to the beach, aren’t you?

13b. Are you planning to go to the beach?"

Procedure

  1. Code 1 if polar questions can contain a clause-final particle that is dedicated to marking questions and is not bound to other words.
  2. Code 0 if polar questions can contain only clause-initial or clause-medial particles dedicated to marking questions.
  3. Code 0 if polar questions are not marked by particles dedicated to marking questions.
  4. Code ? if polar interrogation is not well described for the language or if not enough examples of polar interrogation are given.

Examples

Anu-Hkongso (ISO 639-3: anl, Glottolog: anuu1241)

Coded 1. There is a clause-final question particle (Wright 2009: 96–97).

ca˥ cak˦˨ kɘ˦˨  ma˥˩
eat rice PRF  Q
‘Have you eaten?’ (Wright 2009: 96)

Awa Pit (ISO 639-3: kwi, Glottolog: awac1239)

Coded 1.

"There are two constructions which are used to form polar ("yes/no") questions in Awa Pit, in different contexts. The simplest polar question form uses a verb suffix -ma, which indicates both the idea of a polar question and the idea of Past tense. The second type of polar question, the most frequent, involves the use of question markers ki or sa."

tilawa    a-n       ki-s?
tomorrow  come-INF  Q-LOCUT
‘Are you coming tomorrow?’ (Curnow 1997: 323)
(Abbreviations: LOCUT locutor person marker)

Bargam (ISO 639-3: mlp, Glottolog: barg1252)

The clause-final interrogative marker is a phonologically bound clitic. Bargam is coded 0.

Ni  amun  wol-01-02-e?
you child hit-PST-N1SG-Q
‘Did you hit the child?’ (Hepner 2006: 119)
(Abbreviations: N1S non-first person singular)

Further reading

Dryer, Matthew S. 2013. Position of Polar Question Particles. In Matthew S. Dryer & Martin Haspelmath (eds), The world atlas of language structures online. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

Dryer, Matthew S. 2013. Polar Questions. In Matthew S. Dryer & Martin Haspelmath (eds), The world atlas of language structures online. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

References

Curnow, Timothy. 1997. A grammar of Awa Pit (Cuaiquier): An indigenous language of south-western Colombia. (Doctoral dissertation, Australian National University)

Dryer, Matthew S. 2013. Position of Polar Question Particles. In Matthew S. Dryer & Martin Haspelmath (eds), The world atlas of language structures online. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

Hepner, Mark. 2006. Bargam grammar sketch. Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea: Unpublished Typescript, The Summer Institute of Linguistics.

Wright, Jonathan Michael. 2009. Hkongso grammar sketch. Dallas, TX: Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics. (MA thesis.)

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