Samuel_Kim_en_uhg/content/particle_interrogative.rst

:github_url: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/particle_interrogative.rst

.. _particle_interrogative:

Particle Interrogative
======================

Summary
-------

The interrogative particle shows that a sentence is a question.

Article
-------

The interrogative particle can be a ה-prefix, but also appears in the
form of separate words such as מָה and מִי and לָמָה. The interrogative
particle typically appears at the beginning of a clause in order to
indicate that the following clause or sentence is a question.

Form
----

The interrogative particle appearing as a ה-prefix can be differentiated
from the :ref:`particle_definite_article`
by checking the context and also the vowels under the ה, and the lack of
a dagesh since the radical after the interrogative ה is not doubled.
Also, the definite article can only occur before
:ref:`adjective`,
:ref:`pronoun`,
and
:ref:`participle_active`,
while the interrogative particle can appear before other words as well.

Paradigm
~~~~~~~~

.. csv-table:: Interrogative Particle With a standard noun
  :header-rows: 1

  Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss
  noun,סוּס,sus,horse
  noun + definite article,הַסּוּס,hassus,the horse
  noun + interrogative particle,הֲסוּס,hasus,a horse?

.. csv-table:: Interrogative Particle With a shewa under the first letter
  :header-rows: 1

  Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss
  noun,מְרַגֵּל,meraggel,spy
  noun + definite article,הַמְּרַגֵּל,hammeraggel,the spy
  noun + interrogative particle,הַמְרַגֵּל,hamraggel,a spy?

.. csv-table:: Interrogative Particle With a first guttural
  :header-rows: 1

  Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss
  noun,אִישׁ,'ish,man
  noun + definite article,הָאִישׁ,ha'ish,the man
  noun + interrogative particle,הַאִישׁ,ha'ish,a man?

.. csv-table:: Interrogative Particle With a first guttural that has a qamets
  :header-rows: 1

  Parsing,Hebrew,Transliteration,Gloss
  noun,אָב,'av,father
  noun + definite article,הָאָב,ha'av,the father
  noun + interrogative particle,הֶאָב,he'av,a father?

Examples
--------

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 43:7

  הֲיֵ֣שׁ לָכֶ֣ם אָ֔ח
  **hayesh** lakhem 'ah
  **[quest.]-is-there** to-you brother
  **Do** you **have** a brother\ **?**

.. csv-table:: Example: 2SA 20:17

  הַאַתָּ֥ה יוֹאָ֖ב
  **ha'attah** yo'av
  **[quest.]-are-you** Joab
  **Are you** Joab\ **?**

איך and איכה
~~~~~~~~~~~~

איך and איכה = how? why? how!

.. csv-table:: Example: PSA 137:4

  אֵ֗יךְ נָשִׁ֥יר
  **'ekh** nashir
  **How** will-we-sing
  **How** could we sing?

אי and איה
~~~~~~~~~~

אי and איה = where? where is?

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 4:9

  אֵ֖י הֶ֣בֶל
  **'e** hevel
  **Where** Abel
  **Where** is Abel?

מָתַי
~~~~~

The major temporal adverb is מָתַי "when?" It is often in the
combination עַד־מָתַי "how long?"

.. csv-table:: Example: JOB 7:4

  מָתַ֣י אָ֭קוּם
  **mathay** 'aqum
  **When** will-I-get-up
  **How long will it be** until I get up?

.. csv-table:: Example: PSA 74:10

  עַד־מָתַ֣י אֱ֭לֹהִים יְחָ֣רֶף צָ֑ר
  **'ad-mathay** 'elohim yeharef tsar
  **How\_long** God will-throw-insults enemy
  "God, **how long** will our enemies make fun of you?"

לָמָ֪ה and לָֽמָּה‮‬
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

לָמָ֪ה and לָֽמָּה‮‬ "why?"

.. csv-table:: Example: PSA 42:9 (PSA 42:10 in Hebrew)

  "לָמָ֪ה שְׁכַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי **לָֽמָּה**\ ־קֹדֵ֥ר אֵלֵ֗ךְ בְּלַ֣חַץ
     אוֹיֵֽב׃"
  **lamah** shekhahtani **lammah**-qoder 'elekh belahats 'oyev
  "**Why** have-you-forgotten-me **why** mourning I-will-go
     because-of-oppression-of enemy"
  "**Why** have you forgotten me? You know the hardships that my enemies
     bring on me."

מַדּ֖וּעַ
~~~~~~~~~

מַדּ֖וּעַ why?

.. csv-table:: Example: 2KI 8:12

  מַדּ֖וּעַ אֲדֹנִ֣י בֹכֶ֑ה
  **maddua'** 'adoni vokheh
  **Why** my-master is-weeping
  "Sir, **why** are you crying?"

עַד־אָן
~~~~~~~

עַד־אָן how long?

.. csv-table:: Example: JOB 8:2

  עַד־אָ֥ן תְּמַלֶּל־אֵ֑לֶּה
  **'ad-'an** temallel-'elleh
  **How\_long** will-you-say\_these-things
  **How much longer** will you talk like this?

אֵ֥י מִזֶּ֖ה
~~~~~~~~~~~~

אֵ֥י מִזֶּ֖ה from where?

.. csv-table:: Example: 1SA 25:11

  לַֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי **אֵ֥י מִזֶּ֖ה** הֵֽמָּה׃
  la'anashim 'asher lo yada'ti **'e mizzeh** hemmah
  to-men who not I-know **where from this** they.
  to men who come **from** I do not know **where**?
  
  ----------------------------------
  Joel: the material below came from pronoun article and needs editing
  


Asking for a person (מִי)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"who?"

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 24:65

  מִֽי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַלָּזֶה֙
  **mi**-ha'ish hallazeh
  **Who**\ \_the-man the-that
  **Who** is that man?

.. csv-table:: Example: EXO 15:11

  מִֽי־כָמֹ֤כָה בָּֽאֵלִם֙ יְהוָ֔ה
  **mi**-khamokhah ba'elim yehwah
  **Who**\ \_like-you among-the-gods Yahweh
  "**Who** is like you, Yahweh, among the gods?"

With לְ preposition
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"to whom?"

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 32:18

  לְמִי־אַ֙תָּה֙
  **lemi**-'attoh
  **To-whom**\ \_you
  **To whom** do you belong?

Wish or optative
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"I wish that someone" or "if only someone"

.. csv-table:: Example: 2SA 15:4

  מִי־יְשִׂמֵ֥נִי שֹׁפֵ֖ט בָּאָ֑רֶץ
  **mi**-yesimeni shofet ba'arets
  **Who**\ \_will-put-me judge in-the-land
  **I wish that** I were made judge in the land!

.. csv-table:: Example: 2SA 23:15

  מִ֚י יַשְׁקֵ֣נִי מַ֔יִם
  **mi** yashqeni mayim
  **Who** will-give-me water
  **If only someone** would give me water!

:ref:`adverb`
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Functioning like an interrogative adverb of manner "how"

.. csv-table:: Example: AMO 7:2

  מִ֥י יָק֖וּם יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב
  **mi** yaqum ya'aqov
  **How** will-survive Jacob
  **How** will Jacob survive?

Asking for a thing (מָה)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"what?"

.. csv-table:: Example: 1SA 20:1

  מַה־פִּשְׁעִי֙
  **mah**-ppish'iy
  **What**\ \_my-iniquity
  **What** is my iniquity?

.. csv-table:: Example: JDG 18:18

  מָ֥ה אַתֶּ֖ם עֹשִֽׂים
  **mah** 'attem 'osim
  **What** you are-doing
  **What** are you doing?

with prepositions
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

by what / how (בַּמָּה)
'''''''''''''''''''''''

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 15:8

  בַּמָּ֥ה אֵדַ֖ע
  **bammah** 'eda'
  **In-the-what** will-I-know
  **How** will I know?

like what / how many, how much (כַּמָּה)
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 47:8

  כַּמָּ֕ה יְמֵ֖י שְׁנֵ֥י חַיֶּֽיךָ
  **kammah** yeme shene hayyeykha
  **Like-what** days-of years-of your-life
  **How long** have you lived?

for what / why (לָמָּה)
'''''''''''''''''''''''

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 4:6

  לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ **וְלָ֖מָּה** נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ
  **lommah** harah lakh **welammah** noflu faneykha
  **For-what** you-angry to-you **and-for-what** has-fallen your-face
  **Why** are you angry **and why** are you scowling?

until what / how long (עַד־מָה)
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

.. csv-table:: Example: PSA 79:5

  עַד־מָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תֶּאֱנַ֣ף לָנֶ֑צַח
  **'ad-mah** yehwah te'enaf lanetsah
  **Until\_what** Yahweh will-you-be-angry forever
  "**How long**, Yahweh? Will you stay angry forever?"

upon what / why (עַל־מָה)
'''''''''''''''''''''''''

.. csv-table:: Example: NUM 22:32

  עַל־מָ֗ה הִכִּ֙יתָ֙ אֶת־אֲתֹ֣נְךָ֔
  **'al-mah** hikkitha 'eth-'athonekha
  **On\_what** did-you-strike [dir.obj]\_your-donkey
  **Why** have you struck your donkey?

:ref:`adverb`
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Functioning like an interrogative adverb of manner "how"

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 44:16

  וּמַה־נִּצְטַדָּ֑ק
  **wumah**-nnitstaddaq
  **and-what** we-will-justify-ourselves
  **or how** can we justify ourselves?

why
^^^

.. csv-table:: Example: EXO 14:15

  מַה־תִּצְעַ֖ק אֵלָ֑י
  **mah**-tits'aq 'ela
  **what**\ \_you-cry-out to-me
  **why** are you continuing to call out to me?

:ref:`adverb` used to introduce a question
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adverb of manner "how?"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

אֵיךְ

.. csv-table:: Example: PSA 137:4

  אֵ֗יךְ נָשִׁ֥יר
  **'ekh** nashir
  **How** can-we-sing
  **How** could we sing?

.. csv-table:: Example: 1KI 12:6

  אֵ֚יךְ אַתֶּ֣ם נֽוֹעָצִ֔ים
  **'ekh** 'attem no'atsim
  **How** you advise
  **How** do you advise me

Adverb of place "where?"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

אַיֵּה / אֵי

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 18:9

  אַיֵּ֖ה שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ
  **'ayyeh** sarah 'ishtekha
  **Where** Sarah your-wife
  **Where** is Sarah your wife?

.. csv-table:: Example: Gen 4:9

  אֵ֖י הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יךָ
  **'e** hevel 'ahikha
  **Where** Abel your-brother
  "**Where** is Abel, your brother?"

.. csv-table:: Example: GEN 19:5

  אַיֵּ֧ה הָאֲנָשִׁ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥אוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ
  **'ayyeh** ha'anashim 'asher-ba'u 'eleykha
  **Where** the-men that\_came-in to-you
  **Where** are the men that came in to you?