Page 375 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

a) Focused polar question
When a state/event is assumed to have occurred, but a particular component

element of it – subject, object, verb, adverb – is not fully known to the speaker, this element
is thus the crux of a focused yes/no-question (Givón 2001b:293). Often the question
intonation pattern involves a sentence-final rising pitch, in contrast to a final falling pitch in

declarative sentences, but this is by no means universal, and in some languages this is the
only available strategy (Kroeger 2005:203-4). Bhojpuri uses only intonation to mark the

constituent of focused yes/no question. Following are the examples:
(i) Polar question neutral (or verb focus)

(4) ओकरा बाद म) नेपाल म) अइनी ?

okʌrɑ bɑd mẽ nepɑl mẽ ʌini
okʌrɑ bɑd mẽ nepɑl mẽ ɑ-ini
3.SG.GEN later LOC Nepal LOC come-PST.H

'After that, did you COME to Nepal?' (04.036)

(ii) Polar question (subject focus)
(5) तू एह लकड़ी के बेध सकेलऽ ?

tu eɦ lʌkʌɽi ke bed ̤ sʌkelʌ

tu eɦ lʌkʌɽi ke bed̤ sʌk-elʌ
2SG.NOM prox twig ACC pierce can-2.PRES.MH
'Can YOU pierce this twig?' (011.102)

(iii) Polar question (dative focus)
(6) आजका0 रउरा भाई के नइख3 देखत ?

ɑj kɑl̥ rʌurɑ b̤ ɑi ke nʌikʰĩ dekʰʌt
ɑj kɑl̥ rʌur-ɑ b ̤ ɑi ke nʌikʰ-ĩ dekʰ-ʌt

today yesterday 2SG.DET.H-DEF brother gen be.NEG.PRES-H see-IMPF
'YOUR BROTHER is not seen anywhere nowadays?' (12.011)

(iv) Polar question (patient focus)
(7) बड़ा बड़बड़ाताड़ऽ, कु#मा िपले बाड़ऽ ?

bʌɽɑ bʌɽbʌɽɑtɑɽʌ kusmɑ pile

bʌɽ-ɑ bʌɽbʌɽɑ-ʌt bɑɽʌ pi-ʌl-e kusmɑ
great-SPEC jabber-IMPF be.2.PRES drink-PP-SEQ intoxicated squash

bɑɽʌ

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