diff --git a/content/particle_interrogative.rst b/content/particle_interrogative.rst index b663fc4..87dd83f 100644 --- a/content/particle_interrogative.rst +++ b/content/particle_interrogative.rst @@ -8,19 +8,17 @@ Particle Interrogative Summary ------- -Interrogative particles indicate that a sentence is a question. The standard interrogative prefix -הֲ (he with -hateph pathah vowel) should not be confused with the definite article -הַ (he with pathah vowel). The interrogative particles מִי and מָה can also +Interrogative particles indicate that a sentence is a question. The interrogative particles מִי and מָה can also function as interrogative pronouns ("who?" and "what?") or indefinite pronouns ("whoever" and "whatever"). Article ------- -The interrogative prefix -הֲ is the standard interrogative particle in Biblie Aramaic and can be differentiated -from the :ref:`definite article` by the context and the lack of a daghesh in the consonant immediately -following the prefix. The interrogative prefix, as well as interrogative particles in general, nearly always appear at the -beginning of a clause to indicate that the clause is a question and not a statement. However, as in many languages, in Biblical Aramaic a question can be asked rhetorically as a way -of making a strong statement. As an example, a person might ask "How can that be?" as a way of expressing a strong sense of -disbelief in something that has just been said. +In general, interrogative particles nearly always appear at the +beginning of a clause to indicate that the clause is a question and not a statement. +However, interrogative particles can occur in the middle of a sentence to function as indefinite pronouns instead. +As in many languages, in Biblical Aramaic a question can be asked rhetorically as a way of making a strong statement. +As an example, a person might ask "How can that be?" as a way of expressing a strong sense of disbelief in something that has just been said. Examples @@ -46,54 +44,3 @@ an :ref:`indefinite pronoun` ("whatever") when used in the m - - - -איך and איכה ------------- - -These are particles of manner and can be translated as "how?", "why?", or even "how!". - - - -אי and איה ----------- - -These are particles of place and can be translated as "where?" or "where is?". - - - - -מָתַי ---- - -This is a particle of time and can be translated as "when?". It is often used with the preposition עַד in the compound particle -עַד־מָתַי which literally means "until when?" but is usually translated "how long?". - - - -לָמָ֪ה and לָֽמָּה ------------ - -These are particles of cause and literally mean "for what?", but they are usually translated as "why?". - - - -Other interrogative particles ------------------------------ - -מַדּ֖וּעַ (why?) -~~~~~~~~~~~ - - - -עַד־אָן (how long?) -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - - - -אֵ֥י מִזֶּ֖ה (from where?) -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - - -