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The question marker prefix Í -e.

Question markers similar to English `wh-' question words, `which, when, why, where, who,' etc., have the Tamil equivalent in words which begin usually with Í -e, e.g., Íõ×´ enke `where', Í¢»×Æ ettane `how many', ͬÂÄé evvalavu `how much'. For a detailed explanation of -e forms, see §§ 4.4 and 5.1.

Note, however, that the question marker -aa and the question words can never occur in the same sentence, unless one of them is a quotation of something someone had said elsewhere:

ÇÂç Íõ×´-ýá ׶ԨÆÔÀÔ? avaru enke-nnu sonnaaraa? `Did he say ``where"?'


Harold_F.Schiffman