Re: OSV; was: Italian Particles

From: "Nik Taylor"

> Sally Caves wrote:
> > In an OSV or an SOV language, where do the "wh" or question words go?
>
> IIRC, Japanese, a SOV lang, places question words right before the verb.
I didn't study Japanese formally, but I internalized it as being like
Chinese, where the question word goes in the same place as its answer would
in a declarative sentence (which *would* often place it right before the
verb). So:

(Anata wa) nani (o) siteru?    What are you doing?
you what be.doing

Dare o mita?  Who did you see?
whom saw

Doko ni iku?  Where are you going?
where go

but:

Dare ga ringo o tabeta?     Who ate the apple?
who apple ate

"Naze", "why", I believe is normally fronted.

Naze Toshi o utta?  Why did you hit Toshi?
why Toshi hit

Géarthnuns follows this pattern:

Öçek la chensat hödravnath?  What are you doing?
you-nom pres what-acc do-interrogative

Öçek lé chethset hötel?  Who did you see?
you-nom past who-acc see-interr

Öçek la vacher-ha hökadiz?   Where are you going?
you-nom pres whither go-interr

Cheths lé chau mnístersaut höglozh?   Who ate the apple?
who-nom past the apple-acc eat-interr

"Why", however, is not fronted, and normally is plunked before the verb:

Öçek lé Süpríansat chelöi hödvagakh?  Why did you hit Süpríans?
you-nom past Süpríans-acc why hit-interr

Though

Öçek lé chelöi Süpríansat hödvagakh?

is also possible, if less common. Fronting would add emphasis "*Why* did you
hit Süpríans?!"

Kou