INTERROGATIVE WORDS

Followings are the principle interrogative words in Apatani:

Apatani	English
whu	who
knii (or nii)	what
niida	when (future)
niido	when (past)
niih	which
noh	where
niitan	how (manner, feeling)
nehe	how (number)
niimkane	how (size, amount, quantity)
niimpa	why e.g, Mo niimpa a’ma ne? [Why did not he come?]
-no	what about {based on the noun or pronoun that precede e.g., No-no? [What about you?] ; Mo-no? [What about him] or Insi-no? [What about that?]}
ha	is/ do/ have/ will/ can etc., based on the noun or the pronoun or the modifier word that precede. eg, Mo ha? [Is it him?]; No mii’chi ha? [Will you do?]; No ngiimi ka’chin du ha? [Do you know (recognize) me?] etc.
-ko dano	what if e.g, Ngo a’ko dano? [What if I come?]

Derived Interrogative Words:

When the principle interrogative words are followed by some markers or words , their meanings get modified and the derived forms of interrogative words are formed, details of which are given below:

Apatani	English equivalent
whu	who eg, Insi whu a’do?[Who is coming there?]
whuyu	who (enquiry about someone) e.g, Whuyu momi mii’ne nii?[Who(is the one who) beat him?]
whumi	to who or whom e.g, Siika tarii mi whumi bi’kin do? [To who shall this shirt be given?
whupa	for who / whom eg, Siika tarii si whupa? [This shirt is for whom?]
whuka	whose (interro. pron.) e.g, Si whuka tarii? [Whose shirt is this?]
whukii	whose (interro. adj.) e.g, Siika tarii si whukii? [Whose is this (shirt)?]
whuka agin	with who e.g No whuka agin ho du’chi? [With who shall you sit / stay?]
whuko	at whose (place) e.g, No whuko ho du’te he? [At whose place did you stay?]
whupe	who’s (the particular someone)e.g, Inka hime si whupe? [Who’s that child?]
whuna	who’s that or who’s there. Insi whuna? [Who’s that?] or Insi whuna khe’do nii? [Who’s crying there?]
whutii	who among (you, they or them) e.g, Nunu whutii a’ba sii? [Who among you did come together?]
whuya pe	who (he, she, you or they) is/are e.g, No whuya pe? [Who are you?(polite way of asking someone of their identity)]
knii ( or nii)	what e.g, No knii mii’du? [What are you doing?]
knii yu	what (enquiry about something) e.g, Insi kniiyu mii’do nii? [What’s happening there?]
knii mi	(to) what e.g, No knii subject mi B.A ho la’to? [What subjects did you take for B.A?]
knii pa/ knii payu	(for) what e.g, Inka ude atan si knii mii’ko payu? [What are those houses for?]
knii ka	(of) what (kind) e.g, Hii knii ka o? [What (kind of) wine is that?]
knii kii	of what e.g, Hiika o hii knii kii? [What is that wine (made) of?]
knii na	What’s (the something that happen) e.g, Niika ala mi knii na mii’bii nenii? [What has happened to your hand?] or Knii na? [What’s the matter?]
knii pe	what’s (the something) e.g, Insi knii pe gu’do nii? [What’s crawling there?]
niih	which e.g, Niih hii niika tarii? [Which is your shirt?]
niih bo	which one e.g, Niih bo hii niika tarii? [Which one is your shirt?]
niih boyu	which one (enquiry) e.g, Niih boyu moka lu’myo niinhii? [Which one is the one reserved by him?]
niih mi	(to) which e.g, No niih mi kaji do? [(to)Which do you like?]
niih pa	(for) which e.g, Niih photo pa no frame me’du? [You are looking frame for which photo?]
niih ka	(of) which e.g, Si niih tarii ka lako? [This button is of which shirt?]
niih kii	(of) which e.g, Siika lako si niih tarii kii? [Which shirt’s button is this?]
niih ho	in/ on/ at which e.g, Niih ude ho no Tallo mi kapa to? [In which house did you saw Tallo?]
niih hokii	from which (place) e.g, Niih dukan hokii no papu rii’bii? [From which shop did you buy egg?]
niih hoka	of which (place) e.g, Siika apu si niih sanii hoka gii’nii? [This flower is of which plant?]
niih hopa	for which e.g, Siika blackboard si niih class hopa? [This blackboard is for which class?]
noh	where e.g, No noh in pa? [Where are you going?]
noh yu	where (enquiry) e.g, Mo noh yu in’ne nii? [Where did he go?]
noh ho	(to) where place) e.g, Noh ho in’pa? [Where are you going?]
noh hoka	(of) where e.g, Inka miyu si noh hoka du’nii na? [Where do that man stays?]
noh hokii	(from) where e.g, Mo noh hokii a’do? [Where is he coming from?]
noh hopa	from where (direction); for where (place) e.g No noh hopa a’du? [From where are you coming?] or Inka abya si noh hopa yu ba’lii giido nii? [That ladder is brought for where?]
noh na	where (place of happening) e.g, Noh na aki pi’do nii? [Where’s the dog barking?]
niida -kin do/ nii dakin do	when will e.g, Molu niida a’kin do? [When will they come?]
niida pa	when one is going to do or for when one is keeping something e.g, Talu homework mi niida mii’pa yu? [When is Talu going to do homework?] or Mo nii dapa yu homework mi atii biido nii? [For when is he keeping his homework?]
niido	when (past) e.g, Mo niido a’ne? [When did he come?]
nii dokii	since when e.g, Mo nii dokii Ziro ho du’du? [Since when she lives in Ziro?]
niitan	how (feeling) e.g, No siisi niitan do? [How are you (feeling) now?]
niitan pa	how (manner) e.g, No so niitan pa a? [How did you come here?]
nehe	how (numbers) e.g, Niikii pen sone he do? [How many pen do you have?]
niimkane	how (size/quantity) e.g, Siitii hii niimkane kaye ne? [How large was the elephant?]