Questions §
Kaitag has two main question types: polar and content. From them also rhetoric questions are made. The question particles follow the predicative logic.
| Cheatsheet | ||
| ✔️ | ++атта ҡил у?++ --is father at home?-- | ++е / акку++ --yes / no-- |
| ❓ | ++ҡил ча йа?++ --who is at home?-- | ++атта це++ --father is-- |
| 🤔 | ++атта ҡил у ра?++ --I wonder if father's home?-- | ++е / вейкку++ --yes / he isn't-- |
Glossary
| ++ча, чила++ | --who, whose-- |
| ++ци++ | --what-- |
| ++коцци/кон++ | --where-- |
| ++чун++ | --how many-- |
| ++дила++ | --my-- |
| ++и, ила++ | --you, your-- |
| ++атта++ | --father-- |
| ++машин++ | --car-- |
| ++ҡил++ | --at home-- |
| ++вярун++ | --[he] went-- |
| ++чьвел++ | --two-- |
1 Polar §
The polar questions are formed by particle ++y++. Such question can be given simple yes/no asnwer.
- ++и ҡил де у? е.++
--are you at home? yes.-- - ++машин ила у? акку.++
--is the car yours? no.-- - ++машин бел у? е, бел.++
--is the car still there? yes, it is still.--
Note
When preceeded by a vowel the particle ++у++ is often pronounced as ++в++:
- ++ила у++ ➡️ ++ила=='в==++.
And when preceeded by a consonant it can also be pronounced as ++ев++:
- ++ҡил у++ ➡️ ++ҡил=='ев==++.
1.1 Tag Questions §
Using the negative copula ++акку++ we form the common phrase ++акку у++ "isn't it".
- ++машин ила це, акку у?++
--the car is yours, isn't it?-- - ++и ҡил де, аккотте у?++
--you are home, aren't you?--
1.2 Placement §
As the examples above show, the particle is usually placed at the very end of a sentence, though free order is also possible:
- ++бел у машин?++
--is the car still there?--
Like with the other predicative particles, placement affects the emphasis:
- ++и ҡил де у?++
--are you home? (i.e. where are you?)-- - ++и де у ҡил?++
--are you home? (i.e. is that you?)--
2 Content §
The content questions that need full asnwer are marked by particle ++йа++. They always require preceeding question word.
- ++коцци де йа? ҡил да.++
--where are you? I'm home.-- - ++машин чила йа? дила це.++
--whose car is [this]? mine.-- - ++машин чун ди йа? чьвел ди.++
--how many cars are there? there are two.--
Note
After a vowel the particle is often reduced to ++й++:
- ++коцци йа++ ➡️ ++коцци=='й==++;
- ++ча де йа++ ➡️ ++ча де=='й==++.
After consonants (except for ++й++) the particle reverses to ++ей++:
- ++коцци вярун ей? ҡил.++
--where did [he] go? home.-- - ++ци машин ей? Жип це.++
--what car is [that]? Jeep.--
Note
After a consonant the particle can be pronounced as ++ай++ or ++а++/++е++:
- ++вярун ей++ ➡️ ++вярун=='ай==++;
- ++кон ей++ ➡️ ++кон=='а==++.
3 Rhetoric §
The rhetoric questions convey broad meaning like "hmm, I wonder...". Both polar and content questions become rhetoric when followed by particle ++ра++.
- ++атта ҡил у ра?++
--[I wonder if] father is at home?-- - ++кон вярун ей ра?++
--[interesting,] where did he go?-- - ++чун машин ди йа ра?++
--[hmm,] how many car are there?--
Note
In rhetoric questions we can always replace the polar particle ++у++ with ++йа++:
- ++ҡил у ра++ ➡️ ++ҡил ей ра++.