TC: Long distance questions

[roninbodhisattva]

Wondering how people would do sentences like (1)-(4) in their conlangs:

(1) What do you think I bought?
(2) Who do you think bought the book?

(3) What do you think she said I bought?
(4) Who do you think she said bought the book?

[masako]

Kala:

ote ta ke na tsumpaye omo ka
which 2SG TOP 1SG buy-PST think Q
(1) What do you think I bought?

ko ta ke tla tsumpaye omo ka
AG 2SG TOP 4SG buy-PST think Q
(2) Who do you think bought it?

ote ta ke ha taye maliya inaye kalaye omo ka
which 2SG TOP 3SG concerning Mary eat-PST say-PST think Q
(3) What do you think she said Mary ate?

ko ta ke ha taye etla inaye kalaye omo ka
AG 2SG TOP 3SG concerning P.4SG eat-PST say-PST think Q
(4) Who do you think she said ate it?

[Chagen]

Heocg

Heocg's words for "what" and "who" are nouns and there's no wh-movement so it can be just put into a sentence easily:

1:
Dah qoð fah smuwa gṛhha?
2SG.NOM think 1SG.NOM what-ACC.SG buy.PST
Lit. "You think (that) I bought what?"

2:
Dah qoð ðrus nemiuwa gṛhha?
2SG.NOM think who-NOM.SG book-ACC.SG buy.PST
Lit. "You think (that) who bought the book?"

3:
Dah qoð stas wedhur eka fah smuwa gṛhha?
2SG.NOM think 3F-NOM.SG say-PST COMP 1SG.NOM what-ACC.SG buy.PST
Lit. "You think (that) she said that I bought what?"

4:
Dah qoð stas wedhur eka ðrus nemiuwa gṛhha?
2SG.NOM think 3F-NOM.SG say-PST COMP who-NOM.SG book-ACC.SG buy.PST
Lit. "You think (that) she said that who bought the book?"

[Ahzoh]

ki-Aman kodh kykogam zĕ žykĕ?
Interogative particle(ki-)what you do-think-PST I have bought?
What did you think I had bought?

I need to work on my interogatives.. that was way too hard...

[CatDoom]

For Yipta, my current project:

1) What do you think I have bought?

Pow ka ol; ul‘olm pa so ko’?
buy\TR I\NOM thing\OBL be\ADV-think\TR you\NOM it\OBL what\OBL
Lit. "I buy something; you think (that) it is what?"

2) Who do you think bought it?

Puw‘olm pa ko’ko so?
buy\ADV-think\TR you\NOM who\OBL it\OBL
Lit. "You think (that) who buys it?"

3) What do you think she said mary ate?

Uwto sa Moly ol; ul‘olm pa so ko’
eat\ADV-say\TR she\NOM Mary\OBL thing\OBL be\ADV-think\TR you\NOM it\OBL what\OBL
Lit. "She says (that) Mary eats something; you think (that) it is what?"

4) Who do you think she said ate it?

Uwto sa ko so; ul’olm pa ko ko’ko?
eat\ADV-say\TR she\NOM person\OBL it\OBL be\ADV-think\TR you\NOM person\OBL who\OBL
"She says (that a) person eats it; you think (that the) person is who?"

[zyx3166]

Roguel:
(1) What do you think I bought?
Taninifacamta finetina?
what-buy-PFV-1SG-ACC think-2SG-Q
(2) Who do you think bought the book?
Tacisiliburonifacekta finetina?
who-this-book-buy-PFV-3SG-ACC think-2SG-Q
(3) What do you think she said I bought?
Taninifacamlerizkekta finetina?
what-buy-PFV-1SG-say-PAST-ACC think-2SG-Q
(4) Who do you think she said bought the book?
Tacisiliburonifaceklerizkekta finetina?
who-this-book-buy-PFV-3SG-say-PAST-3SG-ACC think-2SG-Q

[roninbodhisattva]

Heocg's words for "what" and "who" are nouns and there's no wh-movement so it can be just put into a sentence easily.

Are (1), (2) and (3) different in Heocq?

(1) What do you know he bought?
(2) Do You know what he bought?
(3) You know what he bought

[H.Á.]

Very good. This is something I haven't yet (properly) addressed in my conlang, so odds are all of this is subject to change.

Jóga és nukuxak hik søm hjátsse?
1SG.ERG.PST REL-ABS buy.PST=1.PST 2SG.ERG think.NPST Q-2.NPST
jóga és-Ø nukux=k hik søm hját=sse
= What do you think I bought?

Éska kamrin nukux hik søm háksse?
REL.ERG.PST book-ABS buy.PST=3.PST 2SG.ERG think.NPST Q-2.NPST
éska kamrin-Ø nukux=Ø hik søm hák=sse
= Who do you think bought the book?

Ø‎ga jóga és nukuxak njara hik søm hjátsse?
3SG.ERG.PST 1SG.ERG.PST REL-ABS buy.PST=1.PST say.PST=3.PST 2SG.ERG think.NPST Q-2.NPST
øga jóga és-Ø nukux=k njara=Ø hik søm hját=sse
= What do you think she said I bought?

Ø‎ga éska kamrin nukux njara hik søm háksse?
3SG.ERG.PST REL.ERG.PST book-ABS buy.PST=3.PST say.PST=3.PST 2SG.ERG think.NPST Q-2.NPST
øga éska kamrin-Ø nukux=Ø njara=Ø hik søm hák=sse
= Who do you think she said bought the book?

[Andlat]

Kwëpta
Mit ayatelas sína këlsarú mína östaan?
What think.PRES 2S that 1S buy.PAST?
What do you think I bought?

Hua östaan a kirja, sína ayatelas?
Who buy.PAST DEF book, 2S think.PRES?
Who bought the book, do you think?
This one had to be reworked a bit to make it more how a native speaker would say it.

Mit ayatelas sína këlsarú hana käpan këlsarú mína östaan?
What think.PRES 2S that 3S say.PAST that 1S buy.PAST?
What do you think she said I bought?

Hua käpan hana a kija östaan, sína ayatelas?
Who say.PAST 3S DEF book buy.PAST, 2S think.PRES?
Who did she say bought the book, do you think?

[Lao Kou]

Géarthnuns

It looks like Géarthnuns employs a strategy similar to Heocq's:

(1) Öçek la, gü sí lé chensat hauvazh sho, höhövaz?
[øˈɕɛk la, gy ˈsi le ˈtʃɛ̃sat hɔˈvaʒ ʃo, høˈhøvaz]
2SG-NOM AUX.PRES, CONJ 1SG-NOM AUX.PAST what-ACC buy-SPEC PTCL, think-INTERR
What do you think I bought?

(2) Öçek la, gü cheths lév chí gefrölsít hauvazh sho, höhövaz?
[øˈɕɛk la, gy ˈtʃɛθs lev tʃi gɛˈfɾølsit hɔˈvaʒ ʃo, høˈhøvaz]
2SG-NOM AUX.PRES, CONJ who-NOM AUX.PAST.IMPERS DEF book-ACC buy-SPEC PTCL, think-INTERR
Who do you think bought the book?

(3) Öçek la, gü san lé, gü sí lé chensat höivazh sho, haungamath sho, höhövaz?
[øˈɕɛk la, gy ˈsan le, gy ˈsi le ˈtʃɛ̃sat højˈvaʒ ʃo, hɔˈŋamaθ ʃo, høˈhøvaz]
2SG-NOM AUX.PRES, CONJ 3SG-NOM AUX.PAST, CONJ 1SG-NOM AUX.PAST what-ACC buy-DISC PTCL, say-SPEC PTCL, think-INTERR
What do you think she said I bought?

(4) Öçek la, gü san lé, gü cheths lév chí gefrölsít höivazh sho, haungamath sho, höhövaz?
[øˈɕɛk la, gy ˈsan le, gy ˈtʃɛθs lev tʃi gɛˈfɾølsit højˈvaʒ ʃo, hɔˈŋamaθ ʃo, høˈhøvaz]
2SG-NOM AUX.PRES, CONJ 3SG-NOM AUX.PAST, CONJ who-NOM AUX.PAST.IMPERS DEF book-ACC buy-DISC PTCL, say-SPEC PTCL, think-INTERR
Who do you think she said bought the book?

And the answer to:

Are (1), (2) and (3) different in Heocq Géarthnuns?

(1) What do you know he bought?
(2) Do you know what he bought?
(3) You know what he bought.

is yes.

(3) Öçek la, gü söb lé chensat höivazh sho, sferül.
[øˈɕɛk la, gy ˈsøb le ˈtʃɛ̃sat højˈvaʒ ʃo, sfɛˈɾyl]
2SG-NOM AUX.PRES, CONJ 3SG-NOM AUX.PAST what-ACC buy-DISC PTCL, know
You know what he bought.

(2) Öçek la, gü söb lé chensat höivazh sho, hösferül?
[øˈɕɛk la, gy ˈsøb le ˈtʃɛ̃sat højˈvaʒ ʃo, høsfɛˈɾyl]
2SG-NOM AUX.PRES, CONJ 3SG-NOM AUX.PAST what-ACC buy-DISC PTCL, know-INTERR
Do you know what he bought?

(1) Öçek la, gü söb lé tsobíbsöt höivazh sho, sferül sho, söb lév chens hönöi?
[øˈɕɛk la, gy ˈsøb le tsoˈbibsøt højˈvaʒ ʃo, sfɛˈɾyl ʃo, ˈsøb lev ˈtʃɛ̃s høˈnøj]
2SG-NOM AUX.PRES, CONJ 3SG-NOM AUX.PAST what-ACC buy-DISC PTCL, know PTCL, 3SG-NOM AUX.PAST.IMPERS what-NOM be-INTERR
What do you know he bought?

Hard to imagine (1) in your top 10 hit parade of interrogative favorites in many languages. I imagine (2) would work in a pinch with some pragmatic intonational legerdemain. Or just frame it differently.

[Bagliun Edar]

Obulamga

Rulrigloamel bejidiomabilaldi.
[ˈɾulɾiglɔˌamɛl ˈbɛʒidiɔmabilˌaldi]
rulri-glo-amel b<ej>idiom-abil-aldi
think-INT.POL-2SG.NOM <INF>buy-1SG.NOM-what.ACC
What do you think I bought?

Rulrigloamel bejidiomeldi bēmīmgrālu.
[ˈɾulɾiglɔˌamɛl ˈbɛʒidiɔˌmɛldi ˈbɛːmiːmˌgɾaːlu]
rulri-glo-amel b<ej>idiom-eldi bēmīmgrāl-u
think-INT.POL-2SG.NOM <INF>buy-who.NOM book-SG.DEF.NEUT-[ACC]
Who do you think bought the book?

Rulrigloamel lejam abamibal bejidiomabilaldi.
[ˈɾulɾiglɔˌamɛl ˈlɛʒam ˈabaˌmibal ˈbɛʒidiɔmabiˌlaldi]
rulri-glo-amel l<ej>am abam-i-bal b<ej>idiom-abil-aldi
think-INT.POL-2SG.NOM <INF>say person-SG.FEM.NEUT-ERG <INF>buy-1SG.NOM-what.ACC
What do you think she said I bought?

Rulrigloamel lejam abamibal bejidiomeldi bēmīmgrālu.
[ˈɾulɾiglɔˌamɛl ˈlɛʒam ˈabaˌmibal ˈbɛʒidiɔˌmɛldi ˈbɛːmiːmˌgɾaːlu]
rulri-glo-amel l<ej>am abam-i-bal b<ej>idiom-eldi bēmīmgrāl-u
think-INT.POL-2SG.NOM <INF>say person-SG.FEM.NEUT-ERG <INF>buy-who.NOM book-SG.DEF.NEUT-[ACC]
Who do you think she said bought the book?

[Xing]

Wondering how people would do sentences like (1)-(4) in their conlangs:

(1) What do you think I bought?
(2) Who do you think bought the book?

(3) What do you think she said I bought?
(4) Who do you think she said bought the book?

Gaku

(1) Ete a ngo ko gatti a kia mwea?
think ERG 2s buy ERG 3s what

(2) Ete a ngo ko gatti a mwei ta teli?
think ERG 2s PFV buy ERG who SG book

(3) Ete a ngo ko kenei a kia gatti a mai mwea?
think ERG PFV say ERG 3s buy ERG 1s what

(4) Ete a ngo ko kenei a kia gatti a mwei ta telo?
think ERG 2s PFV say ERG 3s buy ERG who SG book

(1) What do you know he bought?
(2) Do You know what he bought?
(3) You know what he bought

In Gaku, those three could (at least theoretically) be expressed in the following way:

Koma a ngo ko gatti a kia mwea?
know ERG 2s PVF buy ERG 3s what

(1 and 2 would likely be said with rising intonation.)

Various strategies could be employed to disambiguate:

(1) Nea mwea koma a ngo ko gatti a kia?
COP what now ERG 2s PFV buy ERG 3s
'It is what (that) you know he bough?'

(2) Koma a ngo ko nea mwea gatti a kia?
know ERG 2s PFV COP what buy ERG 3s
'Do you know it is what (that) he bought?'


Constituents are frequenty fronted in Gaku. It is possible to fron wh-word, not as a special kind of 'wh-fronting', but as special instances of more general fronting strategies.

[Bagliun Edar]

Obulamga

Bemdogloamel bejidiomaldi abameazombal?
[ˈbɛmdɔglɔˌamɛl ˈbɛʒidiɔˌmaldi ˈabamɛaˌzɔmbal]
bemdo-glo-amel b<ej>idiom-aldi abam-e-azom-bal
know-INT.POL-2SG.NOM <INF>buy-what.ACC person-SG.DEF.MASC-that.3RD-ERG
What do you know he bought?

Abameazom bidiomjoaldi. Bemdogloamelabon?
[ˈabamɛˌazɔm ˈbidiɔmʒɔˌaldi]
abam-e-azom bidiom-jo-aldi
person-SG.DEF.MASC-that.3RD-[ERG] buy-IND.POL-what.ACC
[ˈbɛmdɔglɔamɛˌlabɔn]
bemdo-glo-amel-abon
know-INT.POL-2SG.NOM-that.ACC
Do You know what he bought?
Lit. What he bought. Do you know that?

-abon points to the previous text, making it the sentence's accusative argument.

Bemdojoamel bejidiomaldi abameazombal.
[ˈbɛmdɔʒɔˌamɛl ˈbɛʒidiɔˌmaldi ˈabamɛaˌzɔmbal]
bemdo-jo-amel b<ej>idiom-aldi abam-e-azom-bal
know-IND.POL-2SG.NOM <INF>buy-what.ACC person-SG.DEF.MASC-that.3RD-ERG
You know what he bought.

[k1234567890y]

Lonmai Luna/Liunan:
(1)
kat geben hir se temi mak?
2.SG opine COMP 1.SG buy what?
What do you think I bought?

(2)
kat geben hir mak temi bahi on?
2.SG opine COMP who buy book the?
Who do you think bought the book?

kat geben hir maken temi bahi on?
2.SG opine COMP who.DEF buy book the?
Who do you think bought the book?

(3)
kat geben dala lude hir se temi mak?
2.SG opine 3.SG say COMP 1.SG buy what?
What do you think she said I bought?

(4)
kat geben dala lude hir maken temi bahi on?
2.SG opine 3.SG say COMP who.DEF buy book the?
Who do you think she said bought the book?