Page 383 - A GRAMMAR OF BHOJPURI _ PhD Dissertation 2020 TU

'What did you buy in the market?' (13.185)
In the instances (11a-d), examples (11a-b) present repetition of the question

words कौन /kɔn/ 'who' and कइसन /kʌisʌn/ 'how' and examples (11c-d) present

peripheral plural marker लोग /loɡ/ and सब /sʌb/ following the question words के /ke/

'who' and का /kɑ/ 'what' respectivesly.
11.1.3 Negative polarity indefinities

Mazaudon (2003:310) states that "the most common way to say 'no one',
'nothing', 'never' etc is to use an interrogative word followed by the intensifier

'also/even' in all the languages of the area, including Nepali, and that the negative
polarity identities can also be used in questions". In line with this areal feature,
Bhojpuri employs clitic -ओ /-o/ or -P /-ɦu/ 'also', the emphatic marker and the

negative polarity indefinites may also be used in question, as shown in (14a-c):

(14) a. तोहरा बात के कौनो इतवार नइखे ?
toɦrɑ bɑt ke kɔno itwɑr nʌikʰe

tu-ʌr-ɑ bɑt ke kɔn-o itwɑr nʌikʰ-e
2SG-GEN-SPEC saying GEN who-EMPH trust be.NEG.PRES-3SG

'Is there no trust in your utterance?' (011.373)
b. गQारी म) केR साथ दी ?

ɡʌddɑri mẽ keɦu sɑtʰ di

ɡʌddɑri mẽ ke-ɦu sɑtʰ de-i
betrayal LOC who-EMPH company give.3.FUT
'Will anybody accompany with betrayal?' (011.048)

c. तोहर बल कहाँ गइल ?

toɦʌr bʌl kʌɦɑ ̃ ɡʌil
toɦʌr bʌl kʌɦɑ ̃ jɑ -il
2SG.GEN strength where go -3SG.PST

'You exhibited no strength. Lit: Where did you lose your strength?' (11.002)

In example (14a-b) the clitic -ओ /-o/ and -P /-ɦu/, the inclusive emphatic markers
are employed to intensify the non-occurrence of the event. Similarly in (14c) the question

word कहाँ /kʌɦɑ/ 'where' is employed to express negative polarity indefinites.
̃

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