4. SYNTAX
Direct object
43b. Amar nao kla SaIlaa kao Apnao Gar @yaa idKayaa?
amar ne kal ši:la: ko apne ghar kya: dikha:ya:?
What did Amar show Shiela at his home yesterday?
Indirect object
43c. Amar nao iksakao kla Apnao Gar ek kmaIja, idKa[-?
amar ne kisko kal apne ghar ek kami:z dikha:i?
To whom did Amar show a shirt at his home yesterday?
Time adverbial
43d. Amar nao kba SaIlaa kao Apnao Gar ek kmaIja, idKa[-?
amar ne kab ši:la: ko apne ghar ek kami:z dikha:i:?
When did Amar show Shiela a shirt at his home?
Location adverbial
43e. Amar nao khaÐ kla SaIlaa kao ek kmaIja, idKa[-?
amar ne kahã: kal ši:la: ko ek kami:z dikha:i:?
Where did Amar show a new shirt to Shiela?
It is not possible to use simple questions word for questioning a
constituent of a verb. Usually the verb phrase @yaa ikyaa kya: kiya: ‘do
what’ is used for transitive verbs and @yaa huAa kya: hua: ‘what
happened’ is used for intransitive verbs.
43f. Amar nao kla Apnao Gar @yaa ikyaa?
amar ne kal apne ghar kya: kiya:?
Amar-erg yesterday self-obl-home what did
What did Amar do at his home yesterday?
43g. Amar ko Gar kla @yaa huAa?
amar ke ghar kal kya: hua:?
Amar-gen home yesterday what happened
What happened at Amars house yesterday?
In non-equational copular interrogative sentences, all the elements
except the verb may be questioned. In examples (44-47) the subject,
the accompanier, locative, and time adverbial have been questioned.
The copular verb cannot be deleted as shown in in (44a-47a).