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Láadan/Lessons/18

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Who, what, when, where, why?

Introduction

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For questions beyond simple "yes/no" questions, we need to be able to ask for more information: who? when? what?

In Láadan, these questions are formed differently than in English. These statements can begin with "Báa" like other question sentences, and that is grammatically correct, but it is also not required since there will be other question words in the sentence, which make the context clear.

The item of information that is being requested will be symbolized with the pronoun "be" (or a plural form), as well as the suffix "-báa", to mark it as an interrogative. Any case markers will also be added.

(Suzette Haden Elgin (1988), A First Dictionary and Grammar of Láadan, Second Edition, p. 59)

Examples

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Láadan English Vocab words
Báa yod ne bebáath? What are you eating? yod = to eat, -th = Object marker
Báa sháad ne bebáadi? Where are you going to? -di = Goal marker
Báa hal ne bebáaden? Who do you work with? -den = Association marker
Báa lalom ne bebáawáan? Why are you singing? -wáan = Reason-cause marker
Báa den ne leth bebáanal? How can you help me? -nal = manner marker

Notes

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