Content questions: word order differs from declaratives
- Category
- Simple Clauses - Interrogatives
- Notes
- Content questions distinguished from declaratives by word order (esp. subject-verb inversion) as well as by presence of Q-word (who, what, etc.)
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Sorry, we have no imagery here.
Languages
| Language | Feature Status | Grammatical Notes | Source | Etymology Notes | General Notes | Phylogenetic Code |
|---|
Language | Feature Status | Grammatical Notes | Source | Etymology Notes | General Notes | Phylogenetic Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achagua | no | Wilson & Levinsohn 1992: 125 | ||||
| Aché | no info | |||||
| Adnyamathanha | ||||||
| Aghu-Tharnggala | Yes | 69 | 1 | |||
| Aguaruna | no | Overall 2007:478-9 | Presence of wh-word and no apocope in the verb marks content questions | |||
| Alyawarr | no | 127-8 | 0 | |||
| Andoke | no | Landaburu 1979: 149 | ||||
| Apurinã | yes | clause-initial question word | Facundes, 2000: 361 | |||
| Arabana | no info | x | ||||
| Arrernte | No | 97 | 0 | |||
| Asheninka Apurucayali | yes | Mihas 2010 | ||||
| Añun | no | Patte 1989 | ||||
| Bandjalang | No info | x | ||||
| Baniwa | no | Ramirez 2001 | ||||
| Barasano | no | Jones & Jones 1991, p.120 | ||||
| Bardi | yes | 1 | ||||
| Bare | no | Aikhenvald, 1995: 46 | ||||
| Batyala | no info | x | ||||
| Baure | no | "One thing that all interrogative clauses... Have in common, is the fact that the predicate of a clause appears in a nominalized form." | Danielsen 2007: p350 | |||
| Bidjara-Gungabula | yes | 46 | 1 | |||
| Bilinarra | no info | x | ||||
| Biri | no info | 56 | x | |||
| Bora | no | Seifart - 2005:69 | ||||
| Bularnu | yes | 98 | 1 | |||
| Bunuba | no info | x | ||||
| Cabecar | no info | |||||
| Cahuilla | ||||||
| Central Aymara | no | Huayhua Pari 2001: 296 | The simple interrogative sentence in Aymara has the same word order as the declarative sentence. The difference is that the interrogative has a question word with the suffix sa as it's subject and a rising intonation. | |||
| Chemehuevi | ||||||
| Comanche | ||||||
| Cubeo | no | content questions do include wh - words | Morse & Maxwell 1999, p. 23 | |||
| Cupeño | ||||||
| Damana | no | Queston words remain in the position of the argument they are replacing | Williams 1993:118-9 | |||
| Darkinyung | no | 55-6 | 0 | |||
| Desano | no | Miller 1999, p. 131 | ||||
| Dharawal | no info | 59 | x | |||
| Dharuk | ||||||
| Diyari | yes | 151 | 1 | |||
| Djabugay | ||||||
| Djapu | no info | x | ||||
| Djinang | no info | 45-9 | x | |||
| Duungidjawu | yes | 63-4 | 1 | |||
| Dyirbal | No | 291 | 0 | |||
| Dâw | yes | Martins 2004 | ||||
| Eñepa | no | Payne 2012:371-388 | ||||
| Gabrielino | ||||||
| Garrwa | yes | 76 | 1 | |||
| Githabul | yes | 45 | 1 | |||
| Gooniyandi | no | 0 | ||||
| Guaymí | no | Quesada 2008:87-8 | ||||
| Gugu-Badhun | no | 152 | 0 | |||
| Gumbaynggirr | yes | 288 | 1 | |||
| Guna | no | Smith texts | ||||
| Gunya | yes | 338 | 1 | |||
| Gupapuyngu | ||||||
| Gureng Gureng | no info | x | ||||
| Guugu-Yimidhirr | No | 70 | 0 | |||
| Hunter River and Lake Macquarie | no | 50 | 0 | |||
| Hup | no | Epps 2008 | ||||
| Idaho Shoshone | ||||||
| Ika | no | Frank 1990:6 | ||||
| Ingá | no | Levinson 1972:260-4 | ||||
| Jaru | no info | x | ||||
| Jingulu | no | 0 | ||||
| Kaingang | no info | Silva 2011 | ||||
| Kakua | no | Bolaños fieldnotes | ||||
| Kalkatungu | yes | 103 | 1 | |||
| Karajarri | No | 241 | 0 | |||
| Karitiana | no | The same strategy as yes/no questions is used | Everett 2006:322:3 | |||
| Katthang | yes | 56 | 1 | |||
| Kaurna | No info | x | ||||
| Kawaiisu | ||||||
| Kinikinau | no | Souza 2008:131 | ||||
| Kitanemuk | ||||||
| Kogi | no info | |||||
| Kokama | yes | Vallejos 2010:544 | ||||
| Kokatha | No | 67 | 0 | |||
| Koreguaje | no | Cook & Criswell 1993, p.56 | ||||
| Kotiria | no | Stenzel 2004 | ||||
| Kugu-Nganhcara | No | 404 | 0 | |||
| Kuku Yalanji | no | 195 | 0 | |||
| Kunjen | yes | 131 | 1 | |||
| Kurrama | no | 215 | 0 | |||
| Kuuk Thaayorre | No | 482 | 0 | |||
| Luiseño | ||||||
| Macaguan | yes | question word comes first; subject-verb inversion | Buenaventura - 1993:45 | |||
| Maipure | no | Zamponi 2003:51 | ||||
| Makiritare | no | Hall 1988: 344 | ||||
| Makuna | no | Smothermon & Smothermon 1993, p.61 | ||||
| Makushi | no | Abbott 1991: 46-48 | ||||
| Mapudungun | no | Zúñiga 2006, p. 253-61 | ||||
| Marrgany | yes | 338 | 1 | |||
| Martuthunira | yes | 236-238 | 1 | |||
| Mathi-Mathi | yes | 104-105 | 1 | |||
| Matses | yes | Content Q usually have the Q word sentence-initially but this is not obligatory | Fleck:980-1 | |||
| Mayi-Yapi | yes | 69-70 | 1 | |||
| Minica Witoto | no | Sentence structure is the same for declarative as well as interrogative. | Minor and Minor 1982. p.68 | |||
| Mpakwithi | ||||||
| Muruwari | yes | 120 | 1 | |||
| Nadëb/Roçado dialect | no | Question words as first element, no word order change | Weir 1984 | |||
| Nanti | yes | The content word is preposed. | Michael, 2008. p. 391 | |||
| Narungga | No | 91 | 0 | |||
| Naso | no | Q words in-situ | Quesada 2000 | |||
| Ngaatjatjara | No | 101 | 0 | |||
| Ngarinyeri | yes | 30-31 | 1 | |||
| Ngarinyin | ||||||
| Ngayawang | No info | x | ||||
| Ngiyambaa | no | 259 | 0 | |||
| Nhanta | yes | 126 | 1 | |||
| Nheengatu | yes | Cruz 2011 | ||||
| Ninam | no | Goodwin-Gomez, p.60-61 | ||||
| Northern Emberá | no | 13 | ||||
| Northern Paiute | ||||||
| Nyangumarta | no | 0 | ||||
| Nyikina | no | 0 | ||||
| Nyulnyul | no | 0 | ||||
| Nyungar | no info | x | ||||
| Paakantyi | no | 167-170 | 0 | |||
| Palikur | no | Green and Green 1972:20 | ||||
| Panyjima | no info | x | ||||
| Paraguayan Guaraní | yes | Word order varies depending on which element is the focus | Krivoshein and Acosta 2001:140-1 | |||
| Paresi | no | Brandão 2010:13 | ||||
| Pemon | no info | |||||
| Piapoco | yes | The content word is preposed. | Galindo, 2002: 273-274 | |||
| Pintupi | no | 196; 216 | 0 | |||
| Pitjantjatjara | Yes | G 249 | 1 | |||
| Pitta-Pitta | yes | 214 | 1 | |||
| Puinave | no | Giron 2008: p335, 391-392 | ||||
| Páez | no | Jung:186-7 | ||||
| Quechua Ayacuchano | no | Parker 1965:92-94 | ||||
| Resígaro | no | Interrogative words remain in the "slot" for the element that is being questioned, although many of these are sentence-initial. (E.g. the word for "how" fills the "comparative" slot, which is a sentence-initial position.) | Allin, 1976: 346-347 | |||
| Ritharrngu | Yes | 103 | 1 | |||
| Sanumá | no | Borgman 1990: 66-67 | ||||
| Serrano | ||||||
| Shoshone | ||||||
| Sikuani | no | there is a content question word ("détsa" (de Kondo); "de" (Queixalós)) which occurs before the question, but the order of the sentence itself is unchanged | de Kondo (Vol.1,2) - 1985; Queixalós - 2000:22 | |||
| Siona | yes | Question word is clause-initial, and the subject & verb invert. | Wheeler - 1987:137 | |||
| Southern Paiute | ||||||
| Southern Ute | ||||||
| Surui | no info | |||||
| Tanimuca | no | Strom 1992, p.141 | ||||
| Tariana | yes | Question word is usually sentence-initial. | Aikhenvald, 2003: 503 | |||
| Thanggati | yes | 37 | 1 | |||
| Tharrkari | No | 17 | 0 | |||
| Tikuna | no | Montes 2004b:101-120 | ||||
| Timbisha | ||||||
| Tukano | yes | subject pronoun and verb are inverted | West and Welch 2004: 22 | |||
| Uradhi | No | 390 | 0 | |||
| Urarina | no | Olawsky:814-31 | ||||
| Wajarri | No | 86 | 0 | |||
| Wakaya | no | 0 | ||||
| Walmajarri | no? | 0 | ||||
| Wambaya | no | 0 | ||||
| Wangkumara | yes | 46 | 1 | |||
| Waorani | no | Orr et all. 1991:21 | Word order is similar to declaratives sentences but a clitic is added to the questioned contituent | |||
| Wapishana | no | Only presence of q-word. | Santos 2006 | |||
| Warlpiri | no info | 0 | ||||
| Warluwarra | yes | 874 | 1 | |||
| Warnman | Yes | 40 | 1 | |||
| Warrgamay | Yes | 83 | 1 | |||
| Warrwa | no | 0 | ||||
| Warumungu | yes | 55 | 1 | |||
| Warungu | no? | 321-4 | 0 | |||
| Wathawurrung | no | 80 | 0 | |||
| Waunana | no | Sánchez and Castro 1977:65 | ||||
| Wayuu | yes | In the text in Mansen and Mansen (1979), all examples of content questions have preposed question words. | ||||
| Wemba-Wemba | no | H 53 | 0 | |||
| Western Mono | ||||||
| WesternTorres | no? | FO 128-9 | 0 | |||
| Wiradjuri | no info | x | ||||
| Wirangu | yes | 91 | 1 | |||
| Woiwurrung | yes | 77-78 | 1 | |||
| Worrorra | no info | X | ||||
| Yagua | yes | Payne and Payne 1990 | ||||
| Yalarnnga | yes | 55 | 1 | |||
| Yan-nhangu | ||||||
| Yandruwandha | yes | 66-7 | 1 | |||
| Yanesha' | no | The contet question word occurs sentence-initially but the other constituens remain as in declarative sentences | Duff-Tripp 1997:184-6 | |||
| Yanomami | no | Ramirez 1994: 217 | ||||
| Yanyuwa | yes | 31 | 1 | |||
| Yavitero | yes | Mosonyi, 1987: p. 64, 79 | ||||
| Yawuru | ||||||
| Yidiny | no | 0 | ||||
| Yindjibarndi | yes | 164-165 | 1 | |||
| Yindjilindji | yes | 504 | 1 | |||
| Yine | Matteson 1965 | |||||
| Yingkarta | no | 0 | ||||
| Yir Yoront | ||||||
| Yorta Yorta | maybe | 106 | 1 | |||
| Yugambeh | ||||||
| Yukuna | no | Shauer and Shauer, 1978: 18 | ||||
| Yulparija | Yes | 33 | 1 | |||
| Yuwaalaraay | Yes | 57 | 1 |
| Language |
|---|
Showing 1 to 193 of 193 entries