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• 1 2018-07-24T21:38:07-07:00 12.1. ‘Who?’: cán 6 plain 2022-02-17T13:23:16-08:00

  cán ʔay̓ cə q̓áʔŋi.	‘Who is that girl?’
  cán ʔuč cə q̓áʔŋi.	‘Who is that girl?’
  cán ʔay̓ či kʷánəŋət.	‘Who runs?’

  
  ► 1  The word cán means ‘who,’ and it also can mean ‘someone.’
  ► 2  When cán is put first in the sentence, it is usually interpreted as meaning ‘who.’ The little word ʔay̓ or ʔuč is used to make sure it is understood as a question. It is not absolutely necessary in these questions, but speakers usually use it. Either ʔay̓ or ʔuč may be used, but not both.
  ► 3  Note that when asking who is doing something, the ‘not particular, not specific’ article či is used, as in cán ʔay̓ či hiyáʔ ‘Who goes?’ 
  ► 4  If the one doing the action is not visible, you use kʷi, as in cán ʔay̓ kʷi hiyáʔ  ‘Who goes?’
  ► 5  The past and future markers go where they usually do, if needed, right after the first word: cán yaʔ ʔay̓ kʷi hiyáʔ ‘Who went?’;  cán caʔ ʔay̓ či hiyáʔ ‘Who will go?’
  ► 6  When asking ‘What is your name?’ in Klallam, cán is used, so it is literally ‘Who is your name?’ cán ʔay̓ či ʔən̓sná.
  ► 7  You can use cán as a sentence by itself to mean ‘who is it?’
  ► 8  Note that cán is stressed. The particles ʔay̓ and ʔuč are never stressed.
  ► 9  New vocabulary:  sná  ‘a name’;  nát  ‘name someone or something’; nátəŋ  ‘be named by someone’; nə́čəŋ 'laugh.'
   

  	cán ʔay̓ cə swéʔwəs.	‘Who is that boy?’
  	níɬ kʷi nəsxʷtáwnq.	‘It’s my older brother.’
  	cán ʔay̓ cə sčáʔčaʔs.	‘Who is his friend?’
  	ʔáwənə nəsx̣čít.	‘I don’t know.’