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discourse. Table 14.4 presents the demonstrative pronouns in terms of
proximal/distal/remote contrast.

Table 14.4: Demonstrative pronouns in Bhojpuri
Proximant Distal Remote

ई /i/ ऊ /u/ हऊ /ɦʌu/

Demonstrative pronouns listed in Table 14.4 show that Bhojpuri exhibits
proximate and distal in terms of distance and remote, both for a far distant object as
well as for deictic reference. In discourse, these pronouns also take part in referential

coherence and definiteness of the referent. Referential definiteness encoded in
demonstrative pronouns is discussed further below in this chapter.

14.2.3 Interrogative pronouns
The interrogative pronouns in Bhojpuri also observed in Grierson (1884a:25-

6), Tiwari (1960:141-4 and 1984:458-62), Nirbhik (1975:53-5), Tripathy (1987:93),
Shrivastava (1999:50), Sharma and Ashk (2007:13), Thakur (2011:69) and Singh

(2013:56) are shown in Table 14.5.
Table 14.5: Interrogative pronouns in Bhojpuri
का /kɑ/ or कथी /kʌtʰi/ 'what'

के /ke/ or कौन /kɔn/ 'who'
कौन /kɔn/ 'which'

The interrogative pronouns in Bhojpuri can be exemplified, as in (5a-e):

(5) a. राउर संघीयता बनावे के उ?े@य का ह ?
rɑur sʌŋɡ ̈ iyʌtɑ bʌnɑwe ke uddesyʌ kɑ ɦʌ

rɑur sʌŋɡ ̈ iyʌtɑ bʌnɑ-e ke uddesyʌ kɑ ɦʌ
2SG.GEN.H federalism make-PUR GEN purpose what be.3SG.PRES

‘... WHAT is the motto of your federal structure?’ (01.031)
b. धनपत कथी के मुअइलख ?

d ̤ ʌnpʌt kʌtʰi ke muʌilʌkʰ
d ̤ ʌnpʌt kʌtʰi ke mu-ɑ-il-ʌkʰ

Dhanpat what ACC die-CAUS-PP-3SG.PST
‘WHAT did Dhanpat kill?’ (06.057)

c. कुBा के के मुअइलख ?

4. Givón (2011: 162) notes that the distal pre-nominal demonstratives are often used as definite articles
in natural discourse in the Ute language, .
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