A Grammar of Tamashek (Tuareg of Mali)

12.3 Interrogatives 649

available. In (754), the extracted NP is from a complement clause rather than

from the 'want' clause (long-distance extraction).

12.3 Interrogatives

Yes-no (i.e. polar) interrogatives are simple sentences with an optional

question particle, or just with interrogative intonation.

WH-interrogatives are closely related to the focalization construction, but

usually omit the demonstrative following the focalized constituent.

12.3.1 Yes-no (=polar) interrogatives

Clause-initial particles for polar (i.e. 'yes-no') interrogatives are dk and

qpmm, and for eastern dialects egaen (A-grm, Gao) or ajasn (Im Κ). As in

most languages, ordinary declaratives with rising intonation can function as

polar interrogatives even without an explicit interrogative particle.

(755) a. ak ssssrd-äen-naek ja-n

yes/no? work-MaPl-2SgPoss be.done.Reslt-3MaPlS

[t-ekle t-olar-aet]

[Fe-go.VblN Fe-be.good.ResIt-Partpl.FeSg]

'Are your-Sg business affairs going well?'

b. ajamm attizal an Tali waer 0-aewwed

yes/no? due.date Poss Ali Neg 3MaSgS-arrive.PerfN

'Has Ali's due date not arrived?'

I have also observed ak in clause-initial position before a topicalized NP,

followed by a WH-interrogative.

(756) äk un-an w-l-n sd w-i, sndek

yes/no? well-MaPl Ma-Dem.Pl-Dist and Ma-Dem.Pl, where?

a-w-a i-llse-n jere-ssasn

Dem-Ma-Dem.Sg 3MaSgS-exist.Reslt-Partpl.MaSg between-MaPl

'Those wells and these (wells), what (difference) is there among

them?'

Here ak is an "appetizer" that marks the larger construction as an
interrogative, but we don't find out what kind of interrogative until the
WH-word sndek.
ak is also attested in (757), where it can be glossed contextually as 'or
rather', introducing a self-correction.