The interrogative pronouns
Crimean Gothic forms its interrogative pronouns upon the old Indo-european root *kwes, gone
quite regularly to we. Interrogative pronouns can be used as adjectives, so that there is no
equivalent of the English distinction between what and which :
we ist zet-her : what is that
we hus ist zinet : which house is yours
They have a masculine, a feminine and a neuter form and they do aggree with the noun or the
personn they stand for.
|
Masculine |
Neuter |
Feminine |
Nominative |
wes |
we |
we |
Accusative |
wen |
we |
we |
Genitive |
wes |
wes |
wires |
Dative |
wem |
wem |
wire |
Nominative |
we |
we |
wes |
Accusative |
wen |
we |
wes |
Genitive |
wer |
wer |
wire |
Dative |
wem |
wem |
wem |
At the contrary of what happens in English, preposition are put before the interrogative, but in
indirect clause, where they are regularly put at the end of the sentence.
Før wem idjes zu in hemen : why did you go to the village
Ich wet ne wem is in hemen idje før : I do not know why he went to the village
Other interrogative
Crimean Gothic uses a relatively great number of interrogative adverbs. They are mostly invariable.
Wer : where
wen : when
weþre : where from
weþ : where (with movement)
wewe : how
wefør : why
weþren : until when
weþen : since when
Weløþ : how great