Echo answer
Encyclopedia
In linguistics
, an echo answer or echo response is a way of answering a polar question without using words for yes and no
. The verb used in the question is simply echoed in the answer, negated if the answer has a negative truth-value. For examples:
is one language that employs echo answers in response to yes-no question
s. It does not answer them with either adverb
s or interjection
s. So the answer to "Tuletteko kaupungista?" ("Are you coming from town?") is the verb form itself, "Tulemme." ("We are coming."). Negatively-phrased questions are answered similarly. Negative answers use the negative verb en in coordination with the infinitive. The negative answer to "Tunnetteko herra Lehdon?" ("Do you know Mr Lehto?") is "En tunne" ("I don't know.") or simply "En" ("I dont.").
also primarily employ echo answers. Irish
and Scottish Gaelic lack the words "yes" and "no" altogether. In Welsh
, the words for "yes" and "no" ("ie" and "nage") are restricted to specialized circumstances. Like Finnish, the main way in these languages to state yes or no, in answer to yes-no questions, is to echo the verb of the question. In Irish, the question "An dtiocfaidh tú?" ("Will you come?") will be answered with "Tiocfaidh" ("[I] will come") or "Ní thiocfaidh" ("[I] will not come"). Similarly, in Welsh, the answers to "Ydy Fred yn dod?" ("Is Fred coming?") are either "Ydy" ("He is coming.") or "Nag ydy" ("He is not coming."). In general, the negative answer is the positive answer combined with "nag". As in Finnish, this avoids the issue of what an unadorned "yes" means in response to a negative question. Whilst a "yes" response to the question "You don't beat your wife?" is ambiguous in English, the Welsh response "ydw" has no ambiguity.
, which has no single words for "yes" and "no", also employs echo answers. For example:
is the only major Romance Language to regularly make use of echo answers. In spite of having words for "yes" and "no" proper (sim and não respectively.), Portuguese will most commonly answer a polar question in the affirmative by repeating the main verb. For example, one would answer the question, "Tens fome?" ("Are you hungry?" or transliterated as "Do you have hunger?") by simply replying, "Tenho." ("(I) have"). One could also add sim before or after the verb for the use of emphasis, or to contradict a negative question; producing "Sim, tenho." or "Tenho sim.". In order to produce a negative answer to a polar question, you repeat the verb and must also add não before or after it. Thus, a negative answer to our above question would be: "Não tenho.", "Tenho não" or "Não tenho fome.", or for emphasis one could even say, "Não tenho, não."
In addition, often yes-no questions are formed by adding the particle ma ("yes or no?") to the end of a sentence, in which case the answer can be shì de ("is (so)") or bu shì ("not is (so)"), or duì ("right") or bu duì (not right"):
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
, an echo answer or echo response is a way of answering a polar question without using words for yes and no
Yes and no
Yes and no are two words for expressing affirmatives and negatives respectively in English . Early Middle English had a four-form system, but Modern English has reduced this to a two-form system consisting of 'yes' and 'no'. Some languages do not answer yes-no questions with single words meaning...
. The verb used in the question is simply echoed in the answer, negated if the answer has a negative truth-value. For examples:
- "Did you go to the cinema?" (or "Didn't you go to the cinema?")
- "I did not." or "I didn't go."
Finnish
The Finnish languageFinnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
is one language that employs echo answers in response to yes-no question
Yes-no question
In linguistics, a yes–no question, formally known as a polar question, is a question whose expected answer is either "yes" or "no". Formally, they present an exclusive disjunction, a pair of alternatives of which only one is acceptable. In English, such questions can be formed in both positive...
s. It does not answer them with either adverb
Adverb
An adverb is a part of speech that modifies verbs or any part of speech other than a noun . Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives , clauses, sentences, and other adverbs....
s or interjection
Interjection
In grammar, an interjection or exclamation is a word used to express an emotion or sentiment on the part of the speaker . Filled pauses such as uh, er, um are also considered interjections...
s. So the answer to "Tuletteko kaupungista?" ("Are you coming from town?") is the verb form itself, "Tulemme." ("We are coming."). Negatively-phrased questions are answered similarly. Negative answers use the negative verb en in coordination with the infinitive. The negative answer to "Tunnetteko herra Lehdon?" ("Do you know Mr Lehto?") is "En tunne" ("I don't know.") or simply "En" ("I dont.").
Celtic languages
The Celtic languagesCeltic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
also primarily employ echo answers. Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
and Scottish Gaelic lack the words "yes" and "no" altogether. In Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, the words for "yes" and "no" ("ie" and "nage") are restricted to specialized circumstances. Like Finnish, the main way in these languages to state yes or no, in answer to yes-no questions, is to echo the verb of the question. In Irish, the question "An dtiocfaidh tú?" ("Will you come?") will be answered with "Tiocfaidh" ("[I] will come") or "Ní thiocfaidh" ("[I] will not come"). Similarly, in Welsh, the answers to "Ydy Fred yn dod?" ("Is Fred coming?") are either "Ydy" ("He is coming.") or "Nag ydy" ("He is not coming."). In general, the negative answer is the positive answer combined with "nag". As in Finnish, this avoids the issue of what an unadorned "yes" means in response to a negative question. Whilst a "yes" response to the question "You don't beat your wife?" is ambiguous in English, the Welsh response "ydw" has no ambiguity.
Latin
LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, which has no single words for "yes" and "no", also employs echo answers. For example:
- Nōnne Doofus molestus discipulus est?
- "Doofus is an annoying student, isn't he?"
- Est.
- "He is."
- Num Doofus litterās memoriā tenēre potest?
- "Doofus cannot remember the alphabet, can he?"
- Nōn potest.
- "He cannot."
Portuguese
The Portuguese languagePortuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
is the only major Romance Language to regularly make use of echo answers. In spite of having words for "yes" and "no" proper (sim and não respectively.), Portuguese will most commonly answer a polar question in the affirmative by repeating the main verb. For example, one would answer the question, "Tens fome?" ("Are you hungry?" or transliterated as "Do you have hunger?") by simply replying, "Tenho." ("(I) have"). One could also add sim before or after the verb for the use of emphasis, or to contradict a negative question; producing "Sim, tenho." or "Tenho sim.". In order to produce a negative answer to a polar question, you repeat the verb and must also add não before or after it. Thus, a negative answer to our above question would be: "Não tenho.", "Tenho não" or "Não tenho fome.", or for emphasis one could even say, "Não tenho, não."
Mandarin Chinese
Mandarin Chinese often employs echo answers. Often yes-no questions in Mandarin are expressed in the A-not-A form, and are answered with either A or not-A. For example:- Nǐ yào bu yào chī júzi? ("You want not want eat orange?")
- Yào. ("Want.")
- Bu yào. ("Not want.")
- Tā màn-màn-de pǎo háishi bu màn-màn-de pǎo? ("(S)he slowly run or not slowly run?")
- Màn-màn-de pǎo. ("Slowly run.")
- Bu màn-màn-de pǎo ("Not slowly run.")
In addition, often yes-no questions are formed by adding the particle ma ("yes or no?") to the end of a sentence, in which case the answer can be shì de ("is (so)") or bu shì ("not is (so)"), or duì ("right") or bu duì (not right"):
- Nǐ bu shàng kè ma? ("You not go-to class yes-or-no?")
- Duì. ("Right.") or Shì de. ("Is (so).")
- Bu duì. ("Not right.") or "Bu shì. ("Not is (so).")