Page:Primary Lessons In Swatow Grammar.djvu/35

Rh Interrogatives.

Interrogation is denoted by tî, ''who? what? which? tî-tiâng, who? whom? tî-kâi, which one? which? tî-kò, where? whence? mih, which? mih-kâi, which one? what? mih-nâng, which person? sĩ-mih, which? chò; chò-nî, how? why? chãi; hô, how? jie̍h, how much? how many? (applied to quantity and dimensions)''.

The particles mō, mē, and nē, at the end of sentences make them interrogative; also such words as būe, bô, and m̄ serve the same purpose.

The word kâi so constantly used in questions is in itself a classifier, but is easily made to do the work of a demonstrative pronoun, as is true, also, of other classifiers.


 * chí sĩ sĩ-mih-mue̍h,
 * what thing is this?
 * m̄-chai sĩ sĩ-mih-mue̍h,
 * I do not know what it is.
 * chí-kâi sĩ che̍k-pau-ie̍h,
 * this is a paper of medicine.
 * chí-kâi sĩ ba̍k-chúi,
 * this is ink.


 * chí sĩ sĩ-mih-kâi,
 * what is this?
 * chí-kâi sĩ siá-jī kâi khì-kũ,
 * these are writing materials.
 * chí-kâi sĩ thit-thô-mue̍h,
 * these are curiosities.


 * chí-kâi kiè-chò sĩ-mue̍h,
 * what do you call this thing?


 * chiá kiè-chò sĩ-mue̍h,
 * chí-kâi kiè-chò sõng-íⁿ,
 * this is called a rocking chair.
 * chí-kâi kiè-chò chhoiⁿ-lí-kiàⁿ,
 * this is called a telescope.
 * this is called a telescope.


 * kâi sĩ-mue̍h,
 * what is this?
 * kâi sĩ chûn--ēng-kâi,
 * this is something used on the boat.


 * ũ sĩ-mih ì-sṳ̀,
 * what’s the idea?
 * m̄-chai sĩ-mih ì-sṳ̀,
 * I don’t know what the idea is.
 * õ, ì-sṳ̀ sĩ chièⁿ-seⁿ,
 * O, the idea is this.


 * i lâi mih-sṳ̄,
 * what business has he come on?
 * i-lâi bô-mih-sṳ̄,
 * he has not come on any business.
 * i-lâi tàⁿ-ūe,
 * he has come to speak (to somebody).
 * i-lâi chhūe chhin-nâng,
 * he has come to hunt a relative.
 * i-lâi lí pa̍t-nâng kâi-sṳ̄,
 * he has come on business for somebody else.
 * i-lâi bōi-mue̍h,
 * he has come to sell something.


 * i-sĩ tõ-chí khiã-khí a-m̄-sĩ,
 * does he live here?
 * i-bô tõ-chí khiã-khí,
 * he does not live here.
 * i put-kùe sĩ-lâi chò khang-khùe,
 * he only came to do work.
 * i-sĩ lâi-chò seng-lí,
 * he has come to do business.