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Lesson 40: Embedded Questions

Embedded Questions

This is another lesson on embedding one sentence inside another. In this lesson, the sentences we'll be embedding are questions.

To embed a question, add the ending "-hée" to the last word in the [question].

Vocabulary


	desh		drug
	-du		Suffix (Speech Act Morpheme): said in poetry; reciting a poem (SH)
	edeláad		to believe
	-hée		Suffix (embedded clause): Question Embedding marker
	íthi		to be tall; to be high
	math		building
	olim		heaven; paradise
	redeb		to find
	wedeth		to be clear
	wush		broom [onomatopoeia]

With the addition of "-du" we now have seen all the Speech Act Suffixes.

Examples

In the examples to follow, I will present the embedded sentence in [brackets] to make the topic more accessible. I'll then present the English in a more colloquial form.


	Bíi lothel le [nolalihée] wa.		I know [has it stopped raining?]. I know if/whether it has stopped raining.
	Bíi lothel ra le [nolalihée] wa.		I don't know [has it stopped raining?]. I don't know if/whether it has stopped raining.
	Báa lothel ne [nolalihée]?		Do you know [has it stopped raining?]? Do you know if/whether it has stopped raining?

The form of the "outer" sentence (inside which the question is embedded) may or may not, itself, be a question. The examples above illustrate this point.


	Báa lothel bebáa [mehéthe mudahé]?		Who knows [the pigs are clean]? Who knows that the pigs are clean?
	Báa lothel bebáa [mehéthe mudahée]?		Who knows [are the pigs clean?]? Who knows whether the pigs are clean?

To borrow from the exercises in the lesson covering embedded sentences, the first of these two embeds the statement, "The pigs are clean;" there's no question that the pigs are clean. The second, identical to the first except for the Embedding marker, throws this matter into doubt by embedding, as a question, "Are the pigs clean?"

Exercises

Translate the following into English.


1	Báa edeláad ábedá thal donihée?
2	Bíi eril bedi ra ehá dama háawith zhubethehée wáa.
3	Bíi eril ma Méri bel bebáa anathehée wáa.
4	Bíi wedeth eril mehulanin bediháhée wi.
5	Bóo mime ne eril lalom amedaraháhée.
6	Bíi aril lothel omá ril menasháad meworabalin wowithid debe miwithedehée wa.

Turn the embedded statement into an embedded question. Translate into English before and after.


7	Bíi ril láad thul oyunan eril meshumáad babí olinedihé wáa.
8	Bíi en Elízhabeth eril im esh melahahé wa.
9	Báa om bebáa eril íthi mathehé?
10	Bóo dom ne methad mehalehale mewobalin wohoninehé.
11	Bíi oth ra eríli el Beye abeshehé wa.
12	Bíi ril héeya Ána eril ham belid henehahé wáa.

The English translations of #12 are not clear; I apologize for this. The distinction here, as in all of these, is whether there is any question that "eril ham belid heneha" (there was a house in the east).

Translate the following into Láadan.


13	The philosopher asks whether the book is correct.
14	The snake will know whether the fish (plural) slept in the river.
15	Please tell me whether the pillows will be soft.
16	Margaret signed whether the trees thrived in summer.
17	No-one knew whether the building had just been cleaned with a BROOM.
18	Carol perceived whether the white butterfly came from the cloud.

How well did you do forming a word for "had just been cleaned" in #17? Of course, we need to cirumlocute (find a way to "speak around") the missing passive voice; taking that out of consideration, the verb we're looking for is "to have just cleaned" We know "to clean:" "dóhéthe" [dó- (cause to) + éthe (be clean)]. We simply add the prefix "thó-" (to have just VERBed), and there we are: "thódóhéthe."

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Answers


1	Does the farmer believe the soil is good?
2	The scientist did not learn whether the child touched the insect.
3	Mary heard who took the food.
4	It's clear whether the students studied.
5	Please ask whether the dancer sang.
6	The teacher will know whether the hundred young men are departing from the city.

7	The mother hears that the birds flew to the forest. Bíi ril láad thul oyunan eril meshumáad babíhée wáa. The mother hears whether the birds flew to the forest.
8	Elizabeth understands that the boat traveled on the ocean. Bíi en Elízhabeth eril im esh melahahée wa. Elizabeth understands whether the boat traveled on the ocean.
9	Who is teaching that the building was tall? Báa om bebáa eril íthi mathehée? Who is teaching whether the building was tall?
10	Please remember that the old nurses are able to make music. Bóo dom ne methad mehalehale mewobalin wohoninehée. Please remember whether the old nurses can make music.
11	It is not important that, long ago, Someone created all-that-is. Bíi oth ra eríli el Beye abeshehée wa. It is not important whether, long ago, Someone created all-that-is.
12	Anna is afraid that there was a house in the east. Bíi ril héeya Ána eril ham belid henehahée wáa. Anna is afraid whether there was a house in the east.

13	Bíi mime ehená dóon áabehée wa.
14	Bíi aril lothel ezha eril meháana thili wiliha wo.
15	Bóo di ne ledi aril medazh thomehée.
16	Bíi eril lishid Mázhareth metháa yáanin wumaneyahée wa.
17	Bíi eril lothel rawith thódóhéthe beye matheth wushenanehóohée wa.
18	Bíi eril láad Hérel sháad wolíithi woháalaá boshumedehée wáa.

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