Kannada indefinite pronouns

Kannada builds its indefinite pronouns by suffixing a particle to an interrogative pronoun, three series on yaaru 'who': yaar-oo 'someone', with -oo 'or', for a referent the speaker presupposes but cannot identify; yaar-aadaruu 'anyone', with -aadaruu 'even if it be', for irrealis non-specific reference and in questions and conditionals; and yaar-uu, with -uu 'also, even', under negation, in comparatives and for free choice. No series is used for a referent the speaker has in mind.

References

• [degano-aloni-2025]
• [Has97]

def Kannada.Indefinites.ooEntry : IndefinitePronoun

The -oo series, yaar-oo 'someone': for a referent the speaker cannot identify.

Equations

• Kannada.Indefinites.ooEntry = { form := "yaar-oo", ontology := Indefinite.OntologicalCategory.person, basis := Indefinite.MorphologicalBasis.interrogative }

def Kannada.Indefinites.aadaruuEntry : IndefinitePronoun

The -aadaruu series, yaar-aadaruu 'anyone': for irrealis non-specific reference and in questions and conditionals.

Equations

• Kannada.Indefinites.aadaruuEntry = { form := "yaar-aadaruu", ontology := Indefinite.OntologicalCategory.person, basis := Indefinite.MorphologicalBasis.interrogative }

def Kannada.Indefinites.uuEntry : IndefinitePronoun

The -uu series, yaar-uu 'anyone, no one': under both negations, in comparatives and for free choice.

Equations

• Kannada.Indefinites.uuEntry = { form := "yaar-uu", ontology := Indefinite.OntologicalCategory.person, basis := Indefinite.MorphologicalBasis.interrogative }

def Kannada.Indefinites.paradigm : List IndefinitePronoun

The Kannada paradigm: no series for a referent the speaker has in mind.

Equations

• Kannada.Indefinites.paradigm = [Kannada.Indefinites.ooEntry, Kannada.Indefinites.aadaruuEntry, Kannada.Indefinites.uuEntry]