Keep the written words separate

Cheema’s reference entry describes blank spaces as a practical way to identify words in writing, while acknowledging limits to universal definitions. Apply that practical observation to the checked line displayed above. Follow each complete group between spaces without inserting a space inside its vowel marks or consonant features. When copying, keep the groups separate and compare their order with the original before looking at individual meanings.[1]

Read the checked question as a line

The displayed line is numbered example 13 in Agnihotri’s punctuation entry. It contains five space-separated written words and ends in a question mark. Follow the line from its first word through to that final mark, then count the word groups again. Treat the ending mark as punctuation rather than as an additional Punjabi word. Preserve the actual order when copying.[2]

Identify two words by their roles

Maya Singh’s 1895 dictionary identifies ਕੀ as a question word. Find that exact spelling inside the checked line and note which word comes immediately after it. This is a reading task within a source sentence, rather than an invitation to invent a new question from English.[3]

The separate ਕੰਮ entry includes work, occupation and activity senses. Locate this word after the question word, retaining its upper mark. For the exercise, distinguish the word identified as interrogative from the word carrying the selected work sense. Check your choice against the line’s actual spelling and spacing.[4]

Your learning objective

Follow the spaces and final punctuation in the checked line and distinguish its question word from its work word.

Prerequisites: Complete Gurmukhi lesson 18 before this lesson. Level 19 · Gurmukhi.

Check your understanding

Which word in the checked line is identified by the dictionary as a question word?

Answer: ਕੀ. ਕੀ is the checked question word. ਕੰਮ carries the selected work/activity sense and is a separate word in the displayed question.

Interactive feedback and progress appear when the tools load. Answer evidence: PH-LAN-0049-S3 PH-LAN-0049-S4

Sources & notes

Source records include access dates and, where known, limits on what was examined. Checks used AI assistance; independent human or specialist review has not been completed.

  1. Baldev Singh Cheema; Punjabi grammar and linguistics technical terminology reference, Punjabi University. Punjabi reference entry: ਸ਼ਬਦ ↗institutional dictionary or authored reference entry · Source date: 2014-01-21 · Locator: Technical entry: numbered basis(ii), word identification through blank spaces; following orthography explanation. Accessed 2026-11-01.Actual named entry inspected in the university-hosted page. Other entries and reader comments on the aggregated topic page are not automatically adopted. Only the practical written spacing criterion used. The entry explicitly discusses limitations of universal definitions of word; no claim that spacing alone defines a word in every language or historical text.Return to Keep the written words separate, paragraph 1 ↑
  2. Ved Agnihotri; Children’s Encyclopedia of Language, Literature and Culture, Punjabi University. Punjabi reference entry: ਵਿਸ਼ਰਾਮ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹ ↗institutional dictionary or authored reference entry · Source date: 2014-01-20 · Locator: Numbered example 13 and preceding paragraph on question marks at the ends of questions. Accessed 2026-11-01.Actual named entry inspected in the university-hosted page. Other entries and reader comments on the aggregated topic page are not automatically adopted. Actual numbered question transcribed once in nativeForms. Historical universal punctuation claims are not adopted.Return to Script form 1 ↑Return to Read the checked question as a line, paragraph 1 ↑
  3. Bhai Maya Singh; Munshi Gulab Singh & Sons. The Panjabi Dictionary (1895): ਕੀ ↗historical lexicon, inspected original 1895 text · Source date: 1895 · Locator: Original 1895 edition, printed 611, PDF 625 (one-based); right column, KI entry. Accessed 2026-11-01.The original printed entry and exact Gurmukhi headword were visually checked. Only the selected supported sense is used. Modern introductions, later additions and digital search results are not substituted for the printed entry.Return to Practice exercise ↑Return to Script form 2 ↑Return to Identify two words by their roles, paragraph 1 ↑
  4. Joga Singh, editor; Punjabi University Punjabi Kosh (school level). Punjabi reference entry: ਕੰਮ ↗institutional dictionary or authored reference entry · Source date: 2014-02-24 (online block; print-edition date not established) · Locator: Exact named school-level Punjabi Kosh block under ਕੰਮ, before its author/source/date footer; web posting 2014-02-24 (print publication date not established). Accessed 2026-11-01.Actual complete named school-dictionary block inspected. Selected headword/gloss supplies lexical facts; copying, recognition and quiz directions are original teaching material. Other works on the aggregate page are separately identified.Return to Practice exercise ↑Return to Script form 3 ↑Return to Identify two words by their roles, paragraph 2 ↑
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Record PH-LAN-0049 · English edition · human review not performed