Hand-book of Volapük/Interrogativ Form

by Charles E. Sprague

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THE INTERROGATIV FORM.

In English we change an assertion into a question by changing the order of the words,

I have. He will go. You have seen.

Have I? Will he go? Have you seen?

But we seldom put a verb, unless an auxiliary, before the subject. We use, instead, the emphatic form with do.

You go. He speaks.

Do you go?instead ofGo you? Does he speak?

In Volapük the sign of the question is the syllable li, generally placed either before or after the verb and united to it by a hyphen. The accent of the verb is unchanged. Li should not be placed after the verb when this would bring two l's or three consonants together, as li-binoms? not binoms-li?

Man binom gudik, Labob, Ogoloms, Egolols,

Man binom-li gudik? Labob-li? Li-ogoloms? Li-egolols?

If the sentence contains an interrogativ word, such as, who? which? what? how? when? where? li is unnecessary.

Kim binom man at? Who is this man?

Man kiom binom at? What man is this?

Kipladi man at golom? Where (whither) is this man going?

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EXERCISE 23.

Kikod? why? Kiplad or klöp? where? Kipladi? where (to what place)? Kiüp or kitim? when? Liko? how? These are interrogativs which do not require -li.

Stadön, to be [in a certain state or condition], to do, as in “how do you do?”

Liko stadol, o söl!? Stadob gudiko, danob ole ( or danis). Li-ebinol lonedo in zif? No lonedo, ekömob bletimo de Madrid. Binom-li Madrid zif jönik? Binom lejönik; ilöfoböv blibön us lonedumo. Kiöp lom olik binom? Lom obik binom in Boston, ab labob flenis mödik in zif at. Li-estudol flentapüki? Estudob flentapüki ab no kanob pükön omi gudiko. Li-kapälol valikosi keli lilädol? Si, o söl! ti valikosi.

Have you seen my father to-day? No, sir; is he not in the house? Have you read the newspapers to-day? I have not had time to read. How is your father to-day? Thanks; he is (stadom) much better. His many friends will have much pleasure when they [shall] know it.