This map shows the method a language uses to indicate that an utterance is a polar question. Polar questions are ones to which the expected answer is the equivalent of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ (and which are thus sometimes called yes-no questions ). They contrast with content questions, which contain an interrogative word meaning something like ‘who’ or ‘where’, in which some more specific answer is expected; content questions in English are often called wh-questions... ❡
The first strategy for forming polar questions is the use of a question particle which is added to a corresponding declarative sentence to indicate that it is a question... Interrogative clitics, which attach to some word, but which exhibit freedom as to the category of word they attach to, are treated here as question particles. ❡
The second general strategy for signalling polar questions involves the use of distinct interrogative verbal morphology. Most commonly, the verbal morphology may involve an affix that specifically signals that the utterance is a question... ❡
The third type is languages that have both question particles and interrogative verb morphology, either as two separate constructions or occurring together in a single construction... ❡
A fourth but fairly uncommon way to signal that an utterance is a question is by using a different word order from that used in corresponding declarative sentences. This method is used in a number of European languages..."