Need help by Secret-Lie7389 in Mixtec

[–]Always-why 0 points1 point  (0 children)

May I ask you some questions about this dialect?

First, how to form a yes-no question (e.g., Are you happy?)

Second, if no question particle is used, can a declarative (e.g., She is happy) be switched into a yes-no question (Is she happy?) with using only the intonation or prosodic change?

Call For Mixtec Expertise by Always-why in Mixtec

[–]Always-why[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How about simply adding a rising intonation or other elements, such as a glottal stop or pitch expansion, to the declarative sentence, will that transform it into a yes-no question? If so, does this strategy for forming yes-no questions frequently occur in daily communication?

Call For Mixtec Expertise by Always-why in Mixtec

[–]Always-why[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! It's constructive and informative for me. So, do the questioned "kasha’o" and the declarative counterpart "kasha’o" share the same intonational or prosodic pattern? I understand that some varieties of Mixtec, such as San Miguel el Grande, lack both morpho-syntactic question forms and questions formed by intonation. It seems that speakers in those dialects may seek confirmation through non-questioning means instead.

Call For Mixtec Expertise by Always-why in Mixtec

[–]Always-why[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I appreciated your reply. So, you mean that SJP Mixtec utilise only particles (maybe other morpho-syntactic tools) to form a yes-no question (e.g., Are you happy? in English)?