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Unit: 5, Lesson: 3

Question words and உம், ஆவது, and ஓ

The Wh- (or எ-) words in Tamil can be combined with the 'clitics' உம், ஆவது, ஓ to produce various non-interrogative forms.

Wh-உம்

When உம் is combined with a noun or noun phrase, generally, the meaning of உம் can be translated as 'also', 'as well', 'even.' For example, நானும் வருவேன், 'I too am coming.' When combined with the question words, the question word is transformed into an general universal pronoun ('every-Wh' or 'any-Wh'). For example:

Written	Spoken	English
எப்பொழுதும்	எப்பவும்	Everytime, all/any the time
யாரும்	யாரும்	Everyone, Anyone
எங்கேயும்	எங்கெயும்	Everywhere, anywhere
எவனும்	எவனும்	Everyone (male), anyone (male)

உம் can also be added with எவர்கள், எவள், etc. However, உம் cannot be added to all of the எ-words. For example, எந்தவும், என்னவும், or எவ்வளவும் are not possible. உம் can be added to எது and எப்படி. However, எது does not result in எதும் but எதுவும், with the meaning of 'everything' or 'anything.' எப்படியும் means 'by any means'. More commonly used, however, is எல்லா-NP-உம் (see Unit 1, Grammar 3).

Given that these forms are open-ended with respect to their reference, they do not occur with verb phrases which are not equally open ended, e.g., in positive declarative sentences. (WRONG)யாரும் வருகிறார்கள் (except under the future reading)

யாரும் வருவார்கள் 'anyone would come'

யாரும் வரவில்லை (cf. No one came)

யாரும் வந்தார்களா? 'did anyone come?'

யாரும் வருகிறார்களா? 'is anyone coming?'

யாரும் வருவார்களா? 'would anyone come?'

யாரும் வரவில்லையா? 'didn't anyone come?'

(WRONG) யாரு(க்கு)ம் வரவேண்டும்

யாரு(க்கு)ம் வரவேண்டுமா? 'don't anyone like to come?'

யாரு(க்கு)ம் வரவேண்டாம் 'noone likes to come'

யாரு(க்கு)ம் வரவேண்டாமா? 'don't anyone like to come?'

எப்படியும் வாங்குவேன் 'by some means I will buy.' However, எப்படியும் cannot be used in sentences like 'எப்படியும் வாங்கினேன் or எப்படியும் வாங்குகிறேன் because presumably the speaker knew or knows how something was/is achieved, and the issue of open-endedness is ruled out.

எதுவும் கிடைத்ததா? 'did you get anything?'

எதுவும் கிடைக்கிறதா? 'are you geting anything?'

எதுவும் கிடைக்குமா? 'will you get anything?'

Wh-உம் with a negative verb

In Tamil there are no negative universal pronouns as such (e.g., nowhere, never, no one, etc.). However, they are expressable. When a Wh-உம் (or noun-உம்) is in a sentence where the verb is in the negative, the effect is a 'no-Wh':

Wh-ஆவது

When ஆவது is attached to an interrogative word, a non-specific indefinite referential expression is produced. This means that reference is open-ended and can refer to any of a number of possibilities; further, the identity of the referent(s) is not specified. It is usually translated as 'some-wh or other', and implies that the exact identity of what is being refered to isn't relevant at the moment but could be specified if need be (i.e. the speaker knows the referent of the pronoun but isn't revealing it at the moment). For example,

Written	Spoken	English
எப்பொழுதாவது	எப்பொவாவது	Sometime or other
யாராவது	யாராவது	Someone or other
எங்காவது	எங்காவது	Somewhere or other
எவனாவது	எவனாவது	Someone (male) or other
எதாவது	எதாவது	Something or other
எப்படியாவது	எப்படியாவது	Somehow or other

ஆவது cannot occur with என்ன. As -ஆவது attaches itself to noun/nouns phrases, it can only be used with எந்த (adj.) when attached to the noun that எந்த modifies, as in எந்த கதையாவது, 'some story or other.' Wh-ஆவது cannot be used in factual, declarative (positive or negative) sentences. Hence it does not occur in the past declarative sentences. Rather, it occurs in sentences in the future tense or with modals of possibility, or in interrogatives.

(WRONG)என்னவாவது சொல்லுங்கள் but எதாவது சொல்லுங்கள் 'say something

யாராவது வருவார்களா 'would anyone come?'

எந்த புத்தகத்தையாவது வாங்குங்கள் 'buy any book'

புத்தகம் ஏதாவது வாங்குங்கள் 'buy some book' (doesn't matter what book!)

எதாவது can also be used as a kind of indeterminate adjective. For example, நாளைக்கு எதாவது ஒரு இடத்துக்கு போவேன், 'Tomorrow we are going to some place.' The order is relatively flexible and எதாவது can come before or after the noun in modifies. If it comes before, that noun should be preceeded by a determiner like ஒரு.

கதை ஏதாவது சொல்லுங்கள் 'say some story.'

எதாவது ஒரு கதை சொல்லுங்கள் 'say a story' (something or other)

Wh-ஓ

Like ஆவது with wh-words, the 'dubative' clitic ஓ can be attached to wh-words to produce a referential pronoun, cf. 'some-wh.' However, unlike ஆவது which presupposes that identity is open-ended but specifiable, ஓ presupposes that the speaker cannot produce such an identity (i.e. doesn't know it). With ஓ the reference is specific and hence it can be used with different tenses.

Written	Spoken	English
எப்பொழுதோ	எப்பவோ	Sometime, at some point, whenever (I don't know when)
யாரோ	யாரோ	Somebody (I don't know who)
எங்கேயோ	எங்கெயோ	Somewhere (I don't know where)
எவனோ	எவனோ	Someone (male) (I don't know who)
எதோ	எதோ	Something (I don't know what)
என்னவோ	என்னவோ	Something (I don't know what)
எப்படியோ	எப்படியோ	Somehow (I don't know how)
எவ்வளவோ	எவ்வளவோ	a lot, some amount (I don't know how much)

As with ஆவது, எந்த NP-ஓ is possible, but எந்தவோ is not. Note how ஓ, unlike ஆவது and உம், can occur with என்ன. As a Wh-ஓ expression is specific (it refers to a particular thing, place, etc. even if that identity isn't exactly known) it can occur with factual declarative sentences.

அவன் ஏதோ ஒரு புத்தகம் வாங்கினான் 'he bought some kind of book'

என்னவோ பேசிக்கிட்டேயிருக்காரு அவரு 'he is talking something'

நான் சாப்பாட்டுக்குப் பணம் கொடுக்கிறேண்ணு சொல்றேன். நீங்க என்னவோ உங்க பணம் என் பணம்ணு கதையடிச்சிக்கிட்டிருக்கீங்க 'I say that I would pay for the food. But you seem to be baffling something about 'your money' and 'my money'.

In sum, compare the forms juxtaposed together.

காலையில் யாரும் கூப்பிடக்கூடது.
In the morning, no one can call. (lit. 'In the morning, anyone cannot call')

காலையில் யாராவது கூப்பிடுவார்கள்.
In the morning someone or other will call.

காலையில் யாரோ கூப்பிட்டார்கள்.
In the morning someone called (but I don't know who it was).