what you got to say?

Question

See the third line of the lyrics: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/neontrees/everybodytalks.html
I believe it's shorten from 'what do you have got to say?' and it's pronounced like 'what you gotta say?'

Question: Which of the following is the declarative sentence corresponding to the question above?
(1) You have (got) what to say.
(2) You have (got) to say what.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

It is short for 'What have you got to say?'

You have got to say what. (But this is not really a declaration; it is a question in declarative form.

JungKim · Answer

Mister MicawberIt is short for 'What have you got to say?'

Right.

Mister MicawberYou have got to say what. (But this is not really a declaration; it is a question in declarative form.

For reference, let me copy the sentences here:
(1) You have (got) what to say.
(2) You have (got) to say what.

So you picked (2) then, right?

How do you know it's not (1), though?
Did you pick (2) because of the context?
I mean, if someone asked you 'What have you got to say?', you could say, 'I've got nothing to say.' could you not?

Mister Micawber · Answer

Once again, I don't understand where you are headed with this, JungKim.

For reference, let me copy the sentences here:
(1) You have (got) what to say.
(2) You have (got) to say what.

So you picked (2) then, right?-- I presumed that I had to pick one; I don't like either; neither sounds like a reasonable utterance to me.

How do you know it's not (1), though?-- It's neither; we don't have automatic declarative versions of questions.
Did you pick (2) because of the context?-- I picked it because it involved less restructuring.
I mean, if someone asked you 'What have you got to say?', you could say, 'I've got nothing to say.' could you not?- Sure,

JungKim · Answer

Mister MicawberOnce again, I don't understand where you are headed with this, JungKim.

OK. Let me rewrite the sentences:
(3) You have got something to say.
(4) You have got to say something.

Mister MicawberI presumed that I had to pick one; I don't like either; neither sounds like a reasonable utterance to me.

Now, do you consider both (3) and (4) to be a reasonable utterance?
If you do, here's my question: when someone ask you 'What have you got to say?' or 'What you gotta say?', do they mean that you have got something to say and they want to know what that something is? Or, do they mean that you have got to say something and they want to know what that something is?

CalifJim · Answer

JungKimYou have got something to say.

Possession. You have it (in mind) and you can say it.

JungKimYou have got to say something.

Obligation. You are obliged to say it. / You must say it.
_________

I think it would be rare to utter "What (have) you got to say?" with the intention of communicating the obligation reading, but it's possible. For most contexts the possession reading would be understood. The paraphrase is "What can say to contribute to the discussion?" or "What do you have to offer to the discussion?"

Also, "What have you got to say for yourself?" ~ "What can you say to explain your behavior?"

CJ

JungKim · Answer

CalifJimI think it would be rare to utter "What (have) you got to say?" with the intention of communicating the obligation reading, but it's possible. For most contexts the possession reading would be understood.

CJ, thanks.
Now that's the answer I was looking for.
If I may, one further question:
What if you would like your question to have a clear obligation reading?
Do you simply utter 'What you gotta say?' and hope that the listener would notice the obligation reading from the context? (If you do, should the obligation reading have a different intonation from the possession reading?)
Or is there any alternative way to communicate the obligation reading more clearly, maybe a paraphrase?

CalifJim · Answer

JungKimWhat if you would like your question to have a clear obligation reading?

You could make the question more formal. "What are you required to say?"

But without doing that you can simply change it so that it uses the plain verb "have" -- not "have got" -- AND be sure to pronounce "have" as "haff", with an F sound, which is the way "have" is always pronounced in the "have to" of obligation.

What do you have (HAVV) to say? (possession)
What do you have (HAFF) to say? (obligation)

Showing the phrasing, both forms are said in three approximately equal 'impulses' or 'phrase groups', but the grouping is different.

[What do you] ... [HAVV] ... [to say]? (possession)
[What do you] ... [HAFFTO] ... [say]? (obligation)

Similarly,

[What do you] ... [HAVV] ... [to offer him] [to get] [the tickets]? (How much money do you have that you might offer him in exchange for the tickets?)
[What do you] ... [HAFFTO] ... [offer him] [to get] [the tickets]? (How much money does he require you to pay for the tickets?)
______________

You should now be able to tell for yourself which is which here, which uses HAVV, and which uses HAFF.

1
-- What do you have to show them when you get to the door?
-- Just your university identification card. That's enough. They'll let you in with just that.

2
-- What do you have to show them when you get to the door?
-- Gosh! I don't have anything to show them. I didn't know I was supposed to have something to show them.

CJ

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