Abstract
It is in human nature to acquire information through interrogative constructions. Sepedi has two forms of wh-words: those that can stand on their own as fully-fledged words, and those that are stems and require prefixes or concords to be complete words. Central to this study is the construction of interrogative structures in Sepedi derived from wh-stems. A qualitative interpretive approach was adopted to explore and understand the meanings and interpretations individuals ascribe to a social problem. Data was collected through observations, documents and interviews, then analysed using thematic and discourse analysis. The study first entailed the collection of a comprehensive set of data on Sepedi interrogatives, then classified them according to the various semantic and syntactic relations. The study found four basic wh-stems that give rise to 37 different wh-words. The format of wh-words is in most cases compound in nature and the wh-word is written as two words. Generally, wh-stems do not occupy the sentence initial position, but when they do, they are preceded by the particle ke. The use of the particle ke before the wh-stem in a sentence-initial position changes the verbal morphology.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
