Niw Englisch/Grammar/Questions
< Niw Englisch | Grammar
In Niw Englisc, you can ask questions in two ways: by inverted word order, or by using question words.
Normal word order is S-V-O, but inverted order is V-S-O. a æ b c d ð e f g ȝ h ƕ i j k l m n o œ p q r s t þ u v w x y z For example:
Þu færst todæȝ. You are driving today. Inverted: Færst þu todæȝ? Are you driving today?
Using a question word: Ƕa færþ þein Auto? Who is driving your car? Ƕider gaaþ wiȝ nu? Whither are we going now? or Where are we going now?
Question Words:
- Ƕa (ƕas, ƕam, ƕan): who?
- Ƕat (ƕas, ƕam, ƕat): what?
- Ƕilc (ƕilces, ƕilcem, ƕilcen, etc): which?
- Ƕæðer (~es, ~em, ~en, etc): which of two?
- Ƕær: where?
- whither, to where: ƕider
- whence, from where: ƕanen
Like ƕær, þær and hier have similar forms:
- hider: hither, to here
- hanen: hence, from here
- þider: thither, to there
- þanen: thence, from there
Examples:
- Who?
- Who is standing there? Ƕa stændþ þær?
- Whose book is this? Ƕas Bok is þisse?
- Whom did she help? Ƕam halp scie?
- Whom did you find? Ƕan fandest þu?
- What?
- What is sitting there? Ƕat sittþ þær?
- Whose book is this? Ƕas Bok is þisse?
- Whom did she help? Ƕam halp scie?
- What did you find? Ƕat fandest þu?
Note: question words cannot be used as relative pronouns. For example:
- I know who bought the book: ic waat, þe þie Bok bohte.
- you know whom you gave the book þu waast, þem þu þie Bok gafst
- she found out whither her mother went scie fandest ut, þider her Moder ging
- y'all saw where the book was put ȝiȝ sawen, þær þie Bok gestalld warþ