Description:

There is one interrogative pronoun in Common, 'ko'. Ko does not have a definiteness distinction but does have all three numbers. It is used in asking questions, but despite the fact that Common grammarians refer to it as an interrogative, its presence does not always indicate a question. It can also be used just like 'what' in English in non-questions, like 'I don't care what kind', a declarative sentence, where ko's function is to signal that its referent is open to question in some way. In this sense, it translates ideas like whoever, whatever, whenever, etc.

Common doesn't actually have a clear and unambiguous way to ask questions (or to give orders) and depends on context and idiom - this will be discussed and attached in a later article. Basically, 'ko' can be used as a replacement for 'a' in questions and it signals the questionable element.

Ko glosses as approximately 'what' in English. It can be used for other 'wh-' type words by adding a head term that clarifies its meaning. Common doesn't have simple, direct words for things like 'who' and 'how'.

The interrogative/uncertain article 'ko' inflects for number in Common, which can be a little unfamiliar for speakers of languages that don't have this concept, like English. Some of these uses are idiomatic and just have to be learned. As a general rule, the number of the article should match the number you expect in the response. The paucal should be chosen when you want a number of discrete things explicitly listed, and the plural when you're talking about a bunch of things and don't expect individuals to be picked out.

Here is a listing of expressions in Common that are equivalent to WH- words in English: Note that there isn't an exact one-to-one, and what is provided are possible, suggested translations of common English question words. In Common, there may be different forms depending on whether the expression functions adverbially or whether it is a thematic argument to a verb.

Words for 'how' create some of the worst problems for English-speaking learners. There are two expressions that typically translate as 'how', 'lo kon' and 'kon kaje'. The former is used to inquire as to condition of a person or thing, manner of an action, or a fact. The latter is used when the speaker wants step-by-step directions to accomplish something or is inquiring about the means by which something was done.

For example, given the expression:

Lo kon a sy sea falu?
How did the person arrive?

Possible answers are:

Usútta na cejákki.
With their older brother.

Esif.
Quickly.

Cajre.
On time.

But if the question is phrased:

Kon kaje a sy sea falu?
How did the person arrive?

None of the above answers are appropriate. An appropriate response might be:

Ceo ny zom.
By car.

E na hajwe.
On the highway.

There are also a couple of ways to say 'why', 'u kon' and 'kon wero'. These are generally equivalent. The 'u kon' form is taking advantage of the idiomatic 'in order to' or purpose sense of 'u', which has the base sense of movement towards something. The 'kon wero' is using the sense of 'wero', 'make', which is something like 'reason'. The sense of 'why' in both cases is idiomatic. The 'u kon' form is perhaps more popular and growing in popularity in casual speech. Both forms are equally acceptable in formal speech.

When one of these expressions has a non-interrogative function and is expressing something closer to "X-ever," it often will have a relative clause introduced with 'sin' after it, since Common is not tolerant of implied or dropped relativisers. Example: 

Ja pocuk teo slek yz nof e kon cel e sin e na costo sea.

The child ate bread whenever he was home.