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3.

  hibvü-o1 mo-e2 /-ama2
like1 this?2
hibvü-o1 mo2 mo-e3 /mo2 -ama3
not2 like this1 ?3

4.

  ni1 sü2 omo-e3 /a ma3
do2 you (sg.)1 know 3 ?
ni1 sü2 mo3 mo-e4 /mo3 -ama4
do2 you1 not3 know 2 ?4

5.

  imeli1 ocü rü2 omo-e3 /-ama3
did it rain2 in Mao1 ?
imeli1 ocü rü2 mo3 mo-e4 / mo3 -ama4
did it2 not3 rain2 in Mao1 ?4

6.

  ni1 idu2 mikrüli3 lo4 -(o)mo-e5 /-ama5
did4 you(sg.)1 go down4 to Imphal3 yesterday2 ?5
ni1 idu2 mikrüli3 lo4 mo5 mo-e6 / mo5 -ama6
did4 you (sg.)1 not5 go down4 to Imphal3 yesterday2 ?6

7.

  pfo1 ikhüi2 khi vu3 le4 omo-e5 / ama5
will4 he1 return3 with year2 ?5

8.

  pfo1 ikhüi2 khi vu3 le4 mo5 mo-e6 / mo5 -ama6
will4 he1 not5 return3 this year 2 ?6

9.

  izho1 shui2 mo-e3 /ama3
is today1 (a) holiday2 ?3

10.

  izho1 shui2 mo3 mo-e4 / mo3-ama4
is today 1 not3 (a) holiday2 ?4

11.

  camaikho1 cars2 -li3 ta-e4 mo-e5
is Chamaikho1 going 4 to3 church2 ?5

12.

  camaikho1 cars2 -li3 ta-e4 mo5 -mo-e6 / mo5 -ama6
is4 not5 Chamaikho1 going4 to3 (the) church2 ?6

13.

  ni1 na2 oja so-o3 omo-e4/ama4
does3 your (sg.)1 son2 work as a teacher3 ? 4

14.

  ni1 na2 oja so-o3 mo4 mo-e5 /mo4 -ama5
does3 not4 your (sg.)1 son2 work as a teacher3 ? 5

Arguably, omo/ama is a truncated, ‘corrupt’ form of ho mo. There are arguments against such a proposition which outdo any arguments in favour by a long chalk. The question marker mo/ma bears a higher tone viz. the lower high tone than mo the negative marker viz. the low tone. mo/ma in omo/ama is spoken on the lower high (v) tone whereas mo in ho mo is spoken onthe low tone. That the mo in ho mo is a marker of negation while mo/ma in omo/ama is a marker of interrogation is further borne out by the way the respective responses to the sentences with these different interrogation markers pattern.
 
spoken on the lower high (v) tone whereas mo in ho mo is spoken on the low tone. That the mo in ho mo is a marker of negation while mo/ma in omo/ama is a marker of interrogation is further borne out by the way the respective responses to the sentences with these different interrogation markers pattern.
 

269 A:

  ni1 sodu2 mikrüli3 lo4 le5 ama6 /omo-e6
will5 you (sg.)1 go down4 to Imphal3 tomorrow2 ?6
B:

a.

       ove1 (lo2 le3 )
         yes1 , (I) will3 go2

b.

  mo-e1 (lo2 le3 mo-e4 )
no1, (I) will3 not4 go2
whereas

270 A:

    ni1 sodu2 mikrüli3 lo4 le5 ho6 mo-e7
will5 you(sg.)1 go down4 to Imphal3 tomorrow2 or 6 not7 ?
B:

 a.

   *ove ‘yes’

b.

  *mo-e ‘no’

c.

  lo le ‘will go down’

d.

  lo le mo-e ‘will not go down’
     Further and finally, both can be negated which shows that the two are not variants but are at par, the latter, infect being a yes-no question.

271

1.  ni1 lo2 le3 mo4 -ama/mo4 mo-e5
will3 you (sg.)1 not4 go down2 ?5

2.  ni lo le mo ho mo-e
will you (sg.) go down? (I thought, you would not)

mo mo

272

1.  ni1 mikrüli2 lo mo mo-e4
did3 you (sg.)1 go down3 to Imphal2 ?4

2.  ni1 mikrüli2 lo3 mo mo4 mo5 mo-e4
did3 you (sg.)1 not5 go down3 to Imphal2 ? 4

The additional mo would mean that the speaker somehow feels the proposition to be true, the affirmative proposition to be affirmative and the negative proposition to be negative.

 
 

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