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This lesson will explain the interrogative pronouns [ŋa] and [ŋu̲].
Someone comes into the house and you call out:
You: | Ɛ ŋa? Ɛ jï̲n ŋa? Who is it? Who are you? |
Person: | Ɛ ɤä̲n raan. I am I a person. |
You: | Kä̲ ɛ jï̲n raan ŋa? But you are a person of whom? |
Person: | Ɛ ɤä̲n raan Rëët. I am a person of Reet. |
You: | Go̲o̲ri̲ ni̲ ŋu̲? What do you want? |
Person: | Ɣä̲n göörä̲ bi̲i̲y. I want a cloth. |
You: | Ɛ bi̲i̲y ŋu̲kä̲? It is a cloth of what. |
Person: | Ɛ bi̲i̲y duëël wal. It is a cloth of the clinic (house of medicine) |
You: | Kä̲ bi̲i̲y ɛmɔ ɛ du̲ŋ ŋu̲kä̲? And what is that cloth for? |
Person: | Bi̲i̲y ɛmɔ ɛ du̲ŋ la̲t duëël wal. That cloth is for the work of the clinic. |
You: | Ɛ jɛn. Bä̲ jɛ ka̲m ji̲. Cu̲ŋŋi̲ lɛɛr. Bä̲ bɛ̲n. It is so. I will give it to you. Stop a little bit. i.e. Hold on a minute. I will come. |
PHONETICS
SYNTAX
THE INTERROGATIVE PRONOUNS
ŋu̲ | ŋa | |
Subjective-objective | Sing. : ŋu̲ Pl. : ŋu̲u̲ni̲ |
Sing. : ŋa Pl. : ŋaani̲ |
Genitive | Sing.: ŋu̲kä̲ Pl. : ŋu̲u̲ni̲ |
Sing. : ŋa Pl. : ŋaani̲ |
EXAMPLES
Nominative: | Subject | [Ci̲ ŋa bɛ̲n?] -- Who came? [Tɛ̲ ŋaani̲ thï̲n? ] -- Who is there? Who is involved? |
Appositive | [Ɛ jï̲n ŋa?] -- Who are you? Literally are you who? | |
Pred. Nom. | [Ɛ ŋu̲? ] -- What? literally, It is what? [Dho̲o̲li̲ ti̲ti̲ kɛ ŋa̲a̲ni̲? ] -- Who are these boys? literally, These boys are who? |
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Objective: | Direct Obj. | [Cɛ ŋu̲ lä̲t? ] -- What did he do? [Ci̲ ŋa luä̲k? ] -- Whom did you help? [Ta̲a̲ ŋu̲ thï̲n?] -- What business do I have in it? literally, I have what involved? [Thï̲lɛ ji̲ ŋu̲ thï̲n? ] -- It's none of your business. literally There-is-no what (something) to you involved. |
Ind. Obj. | [Ci̲ jï̲n ɛ ka̲m ŋa? ] -- To whom did you give it? [Bi̲ jɛ la̲r ŋa? ] -- To whom will you tell it? |
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Obj. of Prep. | [Cɛ wä̲ kɛ ŋa? ] -- With whom did he go? [Bëë kɛ ŋu̲? ] -- With what has he come? [Bä̲ wä̲ kä̲ ŋa? ] -- I will go to whom? [Kɛ ŋu̲? ] -- Why? literally, for/with what? |
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Genitive: | Possession | [Nɛmɛ ɛ gat ŋa? ] -- Whose child is this? literally, this is child of whom? [Ti̲ti̲ kɛɛ nyï̲n ŋaani̲?] -- Whose are These? [Yaŋ ɛmɔ ɛɛ du̲ŋ ŋu̲kä̲?] -- Whose cow is that? literally, that cow is the belonging of whom? [Nɛmɛ ɛɛ du̲ŋ ŋu̲kä̲? ] -- What is this for? literally, This is the belonging of what? |
Note: Possessive Adjective Suffixes |
[Ɛ ŋadiɛn bi̲ jiɛɛn ɔ? ] -- Who-of-them will leave? Literally, It is their-who who will leave. [Ta̲a̲ ŋu̲dä̲ thï̲n? ] -- What have I to do with it? Literally, I have what-of-mine involved? |
Note: Certain nouns cause the verb [ɛ-kɛ] to be lengthened.
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