There are many Timucua words that are connected to the idea of asking. There is: lapu (request), tamalo (entreat), iyechi (ask), iquito (inquire), and feteco (ask in prayer). But how do you formulate questions in Timucua? As we have seen, the most common Timucua sentences are declaratives (these are the sentences that end with the suffix -la). How do we go from declarative to interrogative?
Yes/No Questions
A common way Timucua asks questions is by ending the sentence with the suffix -cho. The “ch” is short for -chi, a second person marker, and the “o” serves as the question marker.
For example, look at the question: ahano uquabicho? Did you take the acorn? It breaks down like this:
| ahano | uqua | -bi | -ch(i) | -o |
| acorn | take | -past tense | 2nd person singular | question marker |
Interrogative words
Timucua has several interrogative words. In English, we think of these as the “wh” words: who, what, when, where, when, and why (as well as how).
| chitaco, chitacocare | who, who (plural) |
| hacho, hachibueno | what |
| cha bueta, chaco bueta | from where |
| hachaquene | which, do what, do who, why |
| chanco bueta, chanco | where |
Examples
Qeqi viro chitaconte? Who is that man?
Qiena, hachibonco chimante? My son, what do you want?
Hachibueno careconte? What are they?
Chabetaco piquita hibuatecho? Where have you hidden yourself?
Hachibueno laputecho? What do you request?
Chitacocarentechica? Who are you all?
Breaking it Down
Let’s look at the last two examples in a bit more detail so we can parse out the verbs.
- Hachibueno laputecho? What did you request?
The verb lapu, to ask or request, has three additional suffixes and can be parsed out as: lapu-te-ch-o.
- -te is a tense marker
- -ch is -chi the second person marker that has dropped the “i”
- -o is the question marker
- Chitacocarentechica? Who are you all?
The verb ini, to be, has dropped both of its vowels and is the “n” in the interrogative word “chitacocarentechica.”
- chitaco means “who”
- -care is the plural suffix
- -n is the verb ini that has dropped both of its vowel
- -te is the tense marker
- -chica is the 2nd person plural
In the Corpus
The 16th and 17th century materials documenting the Timucua language contain many examples of questions. Since the vast majority of these texts were religious in nature and intended to help facilitate religious conversion, they include long lists of questions about Timucua beliefs and practices.
Here is an example from the 1613 Confessionario:
Hulubota qibinoma inti uquabicho?
hulubo-ta qibi-no-ma inti uqua-bi-ch-o?
farm-part first-nmlz-def taboo take-PST-2sg-q
When you farmed, did you take the first (maize) to be forbidden?
Abara elema ecano qibema inti uquabicho?
abara ele-ma eca-no qibe-ma inti uqua-bi-ch-o?
field(?) new-def harvest(?)-nmlz first-def taboo take-PST-2sg-q
Did you take the first (maize) harvest of the cleared field to be taboo?
Hitiqirima hebuataqe hoba nimelabonihaue mota bohota mosobicho?
Hitiqiri-ma hebua-ta-qe hoba ni-melabo-ni-haue mo-ta
owl-def speak-part-and:then ? 1-mercy-pass-irr say-part
boho-ta moso-bi-ch-o?
believe-part do-pst-2sg-q
When the owl sang did you believe and say “have mercy on me”?
Tiniboma hebuataqe iquasetiquani chinima isi tocobile bohota mocobicho?
Tinibo-ma hebua-ta-qe iqua-si-atiqua-ni
Woodpecker-def speak-part-and:then cry-ben-must:not-neg
chini-ma isi toco-bile boho-ta moso-bi-ch-o?
nose-part blood come-pri believe-part do-pst-2sg-q
When the woodpeckers sang, did you believe you should not cry out because it would cause you to bleed from the nose?
Atofa hororoquene hebataqe nanibeti, queni intila mobicho?
Atofa hororo-quene heba-ta-qe na-nibi-atiqua-ni inti-la
Owl small:owl-and speak-part-and:DS inst-imitate-neg:imp-neg taboo-dec
mo-bi-ch-o?
say-pst-2sg-q
When the owl or the red owl sings have you said: “do not imitate it, it is forbidden.”
Conclusion
There are several different ways of asking questions in Timucua. Unless the sentence finishes with the -la suffix or a command, we can assume that the Timucua text is asking a question.