Test Sentences, 30

Continuing with Gary’s list:

52. Were you born in this village?

Ooh, questions! Questions are formed with the quasi-evidential dubitive adverb dɛmɛ, which expresses doubt. So you don’t actually ask a question, you express doubt about a statement, inviting affirmation or correction.

Asking about where you were born is idiomatic. It involves using the class IV noun molola “birth event” as a source. (Giving birth involves tɨŋi molola, with the birth event as the destination.)

52. molola ŋidi sɛdɛ dɛspɛ dɛmɛ?

In Kēlen:

52. ñarra jamāranrie sū jakēste il jamōla kēñ;

Questions?