en_uag/content/particle_interrogative.rst

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:github_url: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_uhg/src/branch/master/content/particle_interrogative.rst
.. _particle_interrogative:
Particle Interrogative
======================
Summary
-------
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
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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
~~~~~~~~
מִי
----
This is the standard personal interrogative particle and can be translated as "who?". This particle can also function either as
an :ref:`interrogative pronoun<pronoun_interrogative>` when used at the beginning of a verbal clause, or as an
:ref:`indefinite pronoun<pronoun_indefinite>` ("whoever") when used in the middle of a clause or sentence.
מָה
----
This is the standard impersonal interrogative particle and can be translated as "what?". This particle can also function as
either an :ref:`interrogative pronoun<pronoun_interrogative>` when used at the beginning of a verbal clause, or
an :ref:`indefinite pronoun<pronoun_indefinite>` ("whatever") when used in the middle of a clause or sentence.