User:Bukkia/sandboxVIII

Interrogative pronouns

Basic interrogative pronouns display two different forms: one for animate entities (who?) and one for inanimate entities (what?).

• what: šɛ
• who: ṡā

Both pronouns can be declined, with the nominal declension endings.

ṡāxjɛ guʝɛɣīdu irdju šiwči?
whom did you give water to?

There are also other interrogative pronouns (and adverbs):

• šɛlutsɛr: where (static location)
• šɛluxjɛ: where (motion toward)
• šɛlužu: where... from (motion form)
• šɛluku: why (cause)
• šɛčuhō: when
• šɛmiwni: how much (inanimate)
• ṡāmiwni: how much (animate)
• šɛʝābču: how

There are also the following interrogative adjectives:

• šɛgu: which (inanimate)
• ṡāgu: which (animate)
• šɛmiwni: how much / many (inanimate)
• ṡāmiwni: how much / many (animate)

Adjectives display a complete adjectival declension, while pronouns are declined according the nominal declension.

Within an interrogative clause, pronouns usually are usually moved at the beginning of the sentence. Their syntactical position is regarded as extremely marked.

ṡāmiwnü çɛɣü xihīxir?
how many sheep do you have?

In addition, like other parts of the sentences, they can be introduced by prepositions:

gū ṡāxjɛ cɛgiʝug?
whom is he talking about?