15.3. Answers to ‘Whose?’ questions
| Q: | txʷcán ʔay̓. | ‘Whose is it?’ |
| A1: | níɬ nəskʷáʔ. | ‘It is mine.’ |
| A2: | níɬ skʷáʔs cə nətán. | ‘It is my mother’s.’ |
| Q: | txʷcán ʔay̓ sqáx̣aʔ. | ‘Whose dog is it?’ |
| A1: | níɬ ʔən̓skʷáʔ ʔən̓sqáx̣aʔ. | ‘It is your dog.’ |
| A2: | níɬ skʷáʔs cə nətán sqáx̣aʔs. | ‘It is my mother’s dog.’ |
| Q: | txʷcán ʔay̓ sqáx̣aʔ či hiyáʔ. | ‘Whose dog goes?’ |
| A1: | skʷáʔɬ sqáx̣aʔɬ. | ‘Our dog (does).’ |
| A2: | skʷáʔs nətán sqáx̣aʔs. | ‘My mother’s dog (does).’ |
| Q: | txʷcán ʔay̓ sqáx̣aʔ či ƛ̓kʷə́t. | ‘Whose dog takes it?’ |
| A1: | skʷáʔs sqáx̣aʔs. | ‘Their dog (does).’ |
| A2: | skʷáʔs nətán sqáx̣aʔs. | ‘My mother’s dog (does).’ |
| Q: | txʷcán ʔay̓ sqáx̣aʔ či ƛ̓kʷə́ts. | ‘Whose dog does he take?’ |
| A1: | ʔən̓skʷáʔ hay ʔən̓sqáx̣aʔ. | ‘It’s you folks’ dog.’ |
| A2: | skʷáʔs nətán sqáx̣aʔs. | ‘It’s my mother’s dog.’ |
► 1 Note that the answers to ‘Whose?’ questions use the emphatic possessive (§5.2) to focus on the possession itself.
► 2 In order to talk about somebody’s possession, like ‘my mother’s dog’ or ‘Mary’s dog,’ you put the possessor in front of the thing possessed and put the ‘his/her/its/their’ ‑s ending on the thing possessed. Study these examples:
nətán táləs. ‘It’s my mother’s money.’
Mary táləs. ‘It’s Mary’s money.’
ɬáw̓ yaʔ kʷsə nətán sqáx̣aʔs. ‘My mother’s dog ran away.’
ɬáw̓ yaʔ kʷsə Mary sqáx̣aʔs. ‘Mary’s dog ran away.’
 | txʷcán ʔay̓ píšpš. | ‘Whose cat is it?’ |
 | ʔáwə c nəskʷáʔ. níɬ nəsčáʔčaʔ píšpšs. | ‘It’s not mine. It’s my friend’s cat.’ |
| txʷcán ʔay̓ sqáx̣aʔ. | ‘Whose dog is it?’ |
| nəskʷáʔ nəsqáx̣aʔ. | ‘It’s my dog.’ |