Reporting What Was Asked

Level 4

Asking predicate + questioner + no + inquiry content.

How It Works

Report an inquiry with an asking predicate such as dinamag or sinaludsod, its questioner, and content introduced by no. Here no introduces an inquiry rather than a condition. A statement reporting a question ends with a period under the native writing manual’s convention.

Compare Adda kadi ti klase?, “Is there a class?”, with Dinamag ni Lito no adda ti klase., “Lito asked whether there was a class.” The report identifies the inquiry without asking the reader to answer it. This example does not retain kadi; the evidence does not establish a universal particle-retention rule.

The supplied witnesses also support no sapay a for a reason inquiry and no sino for an identity inquiry. Track participants separately: the child asks about Ana’s crying, while Rosa asks about the child’s father. Reporting does not establish whether anyone answered. Keep each clause’s participant marking and aspect; English past-tense wording does not establish an Ilocano tense-backshift rule.

Examples (3)

  1. Dinamag ni Lito no adda ti klase.

    Lito asked whether there was a class.

    No introduces a yes-or-no inquiry; adda presents the existence of a class.

  2. Sinaludsod ti ubing no sapay a nagsangit ni Ana.

    The child asked why Ana cried.

    The source-supported no sapay a frame introduces the reason inquiry. The child asks; Ana performs the completed crying action.

  3. Sinaludsod ni Rosa no sino ti ama ti ubing.

    Rosa asked who the child’s father was.

    No sino introduces the identity inquiry. Rosa is the questioner, and ti ubing identifies the possessor of ama.