Re: Methods of Question-Forming

From: "Jake X" <starvingpoet@...>
Subject: Re: Methods of Question-Forming


[dZei? kr\o?]

> [tioU r\oUt]
> > > > >        The words of whom/what speaketh you?
> > > Why not "speakest"?
> > 'cos I don't know what the proper form is. :-P
> This is what I think it is, but I'm not positive:
> I speak
> thou speakest
> he speaks/speaketh
> we speak
> they speak
> Jake
You've got it.  The only two that generally take an ending are "thou", which
uses "-est" and he/she/it that has "-eth", "-s" today.  There are a few
irregulars that come to mind, such as "dost" and "doth" from "do", but
"does" is a bit irregular today, still.  I'm not sure what's up with
"would", where "what wouldst thou" seems right, but for "he", "he would"
seems like the right form.  And it just occured to me that "would" doesn't
take an "s" today, either.  Interesting.

Though for the original sentence, "With whose words speakest thou?" seems
appropriate.

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