Embedded questions 463
The lengthy section on long-distance questions notwithstanding, embed-
ding structures are frequently avoided in everyday speech through the use of
nominalization, as described in section 5.5. Thus, rather than use kera ‘think’ as
a matrix predicate, it is possible to use a nominalized verb, as in (93).
(93) Emma' entar ka kamma pa-nyana-na na'-kana'?
mother go to where NOM-AV.think-DEF RED-child
‘Where do the children think that their mother went?’
lit ‘Where did mother go, (by) the children’s thinking.’
By expressing the children’s thought through a nominalization having an adver-
bial function, the question is contained in a single clause.
6. Embedded questions
Embedded non-constituent questions can occur with the complementizer ja'
(94), the completmentizer/adverbial conjunction mon (89), or with the question
particle apa in the position of the complementizer of the embedded clause (90).
(94) Ahmad a-tanya ja' Eppa' neng roma.
Ahmad AV-ask COMP father at house
‘Ahmad asked if father is at home.’
(95) Siti lo' tao mon Ina mangkat dha' Jakarta are Kemmes.
Siti not know if Ina leave to Jakarta day Thursday
‘Siti does not know whether Ina left for Jakarta on Thursday.’
(96) Guru-na lo' yaken apa ana'-eng Hasan entar dha' Sorbaja.
teacher-DEF not sure Q child-DEF Hasan go to Surabaya
‘The teacher is not sure whether/if Hasan’s child went to Surabaya.’
Both the in situ structure and the fronting structure are used in the forma-
tion of embedded questions. The in situ structure is illustrated in (97a) and
(98a), and the fronting structure in (97b), (98b), and (98c). Just as with matrix
questions prepositional objects may be fronted without clefting (98c), while
fronted interrogative objects must be clefted (97b) and (98b).^1
(^1) As with widescope questions, it is impossible to use the in situ strategy with subjects
(i), but perfectly acceptable with actors in object voice structures (ii).
(i) *Guru yaken sapa maca buku rowa.
teacher sure who AV.read book that
(The teacher is sure who read that book.)