Datapoint Chinese Pidgin English/Polar questions

No inversion is involved. Most polar questions lack overt marking, but are assumed to have been spoken with rising intonation. Evidence for this comes from Hall's (1944: 97)description: "When no specifically interrogative word or phrase is present, pitch rises to the highest point on the stressed syllable of the last word in the sentence." The Chinese A-not-A pattern is occasionally used, as in Can no can?

Values

Only interrogative intonation Frequency: 70.0%

Example 20-91:
㕭孻其米記杯林
You likee makee boilum?
You
2sg
likee
like
makee
make
boilum?
boil
Do you want it cooked?

Source: Tong 1862: IV.55

Confidence:
Very certain

A-not-A question Frequency: 30.0%

Example 20-142:
(口件)哪(口件)
Can no can?
Can
can
no
neg
can?
can
Can you do so?

Source: Tong 1862: VI.44

Confidence:
Certain