siasino

Asking Who

Level 1

Siasino ti + noun or verbal expression asks who holds a role or participates in an action.

How It Works

Siasino is an attested modern “who” form. The Census guide confirms the exact spelling before a ti-marked expression; the primary grammars also illustrate sinno. Their coexistence does not establish an unrestricted spelling-conversion rule or a complete regional distribution.

A ti-marked role or action expression states what identifies the unknown person. An actor-focus verb asks for its performer. A non-actor-focus predicate can ask for the person affected while retaining the actor's pronoun.

Compare Siasino ti agluto inton bigat?, “Who will cook tomorrow?”, with Siasino ti nakitam idiay ili?, “Whom did you see in town?” In the second, the attached actor form identifies you as the person who saw someone. A named answer uses ni; an independent pronoun such as siak can stand alone. Bound -ak needs a host. Modern KWF spelling attaches the short actor and possessor forms used in these questions.

Examples (3)

  1. Siasino ti maestra idiay eskwela?

    Who is the teacher at the school?

    The question requests the holder of a role.

  2. Siasino ti agluto inton bigat?

    Who will cook tomorrow?

    Actor focus makes the unknown person the performer.

  3. Siasino ti nakitam idiay ili?

    Whom did you see in town?

    The question requests the person seen; the attached actor identifies the addressee.