> << That got me wondering what such an interrogative intonation would
sound
> like... all languages I've come in contact with so far raise the
pitch
> of the voice towards the end of the sentence. Is that some sort of
> global constant of human communication or just another IEism? What
> other ways are there in the langs of the world? >>
In Maltese, that is the only way to ask a simple yes/no question.
Howwhywhen questions have an interrogative pronoun, but the raised
ending still applies, as otherwise it would be interpreted as an
exclamation instead of a question.
Hi sabiha. - She is beautiful.
Hi Sabiha? - Is she beautiful?
Kemm hi sabiha? - How beautiful is she?
Kemm hi sabiha. - Oh, how she is beautiful! = She is really beautiful!
--
Fabian
Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on cologne and they
go out and smell each other.