(Komi-Permyak)

Asym / Sym

Asym: Standard negation is asymmetric.

Sym: Standard negation is symmetric.

(1)milöśöt-am(ö)pisńik-iśkaša.
wepreparePRS.1PLmarsh_horsetailELAporridge
’We make marsh horsetail porridge.’ (L. P.)

(2)miog(ö)löśöt-öpisńik-iśkaša.
weNEG.PRS.1PLprepare.CNGPLmarsh_horsetailELAporridge
’We do not make marsh horsetail porridge.’ (L. P.)

(3)nijalöśöt-ömaśpisńik-iśkaša.
theypreparePST2.3PLmarsh_horsetailELAporridge
’They made marsh horsetail porridge.’ (L. P.)

(4)nijaabulöśöt-ömaśpisńik-iśkaša.
theyNEGpreparePST2.3PLmarsh_horsetailELAporridge
’They didn’t make marsh horsetail porridge.’ (L. P.)

In Komi-Permyak, standard negation is usually expressed using the combination of a negative verb (1)–(2) and the connegative verbal stem in every person and number. The negative verb has present, (witnessed) past, future, and imperative forms (Ponomareva 2002: 127–140, for Komi-Zyrian see Hamari 2015). Besides this widespread pattern of asymmetric negation (1)–(2), a symmetric form of negation is used in the second (so-called non-witnessed) past tense (3)–(4) (Bartens 2000: 187).

Author: Nikolett F. Gulyás


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