Response to positive and negative questions
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Questions
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Agreements
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English
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Akan
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Finnish
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German
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Is he here?
Ïwõ hõá?
Onko haen taeaellae?
Ist er da?
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Positive agreement
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Yes, he's here.
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Aaáne, õwõ hõá.
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Kyllä, hän on täällä.
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Ja, er ist da.
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Negative agreement
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No, he isn't here.
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Daabiá, õnniá hõá.
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Ei, hän on täällä.
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Nein, er ist nicht da.
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Isn't he here?
Ïnniá hõá?
Eikoe haen ole taeaellae?
Ist er nicht da?
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Positive disagreement
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Yes, he's here.
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Daabiá, õwõ hõá.
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Kyllä, hän on täällä.
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Doch, er ist da.
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Negative disagreement
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No, he isn't here.
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Aaáne, õnniá hõá.
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Ei, hän ei ole täällä.
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Nein, er ist nicht da.
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Whereas the English, Finnish, German and Akan language
use the same pattern to respond to positive questions, it is the negative
question in which the Akan language (and many other African languages)
pursues a different strategy. English and Finnish use the same pattern
to respond to both positive and negative questions whereas German has a
different particle in the positive disagreement.
Positive disagreement in Akan:
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Question
|
Ïnniá hõá?
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"Isn't he here?"
|
|
Response
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Daabiá, õwõ hõá.
|
"Yes, he's here."
|
Negative disagreement in Akan:
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Question
|
Ïnniá hõá?
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"Isn't he here?"
|
|
Response
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Aaáne, õnniá hõá.
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"No, he isn't here."
|
Negative and positive disagreements in Ghanaian English:
Note that this same pattern of negative and positive
disagreements also occurs in Ghanaian English which often leads to misunderstandings:
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Questions
|
Agreements
|
Ghanaian English
|
|
Isn't he here?
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Positive disagreement
|
No (he is here).
|
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Negative disagreement
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Yes (he isn't here).
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