(Udmurt)

NegAux & NegPtclStc & NegAffV

NegAux: Negation of the predicate is expressed through the use of an auxiliary verb, plus a form of the lexical verb.

NegPtclStc: Negation of the predicate is expressed through the use of a standard negative word, which can also function alone as a sentence.

NegAffV: Negation of the predicate is expressed by a simple negative affix (prefix or suffix), only able to negate verbal constituents, attaching to the verb.

(1)ivanmusko-jeuzmyny.
IvanMoscowILLNEG.FUT.3SGgo.CNG.SG
’Ivan will not go to Moscow.’ (Y. S.)

(2)ivanmusko-jeövölmyn-em(-ez).
IvanMoscowILLNEGgo2PST(3SG)
’Ivan (allegedly) did not go to Moscow. (Y. S.)

(3)ivanmusko-jemyny-mte(-jez).
IvanMoscowILLgo2PST.NEG(3SG)
’Ivan (allegedly) did not go to Moscow. (Y. S.)

(4)tonbiger-a?övöl.
youTatarQCOP.NEG
’Are you Tatar? No.’ (Y. S.)

In Udmurt negating the verbal predicate is expressed by the combination of a negative verb and the connegative stem of the lexical verb in most tenses and moods (1).

Negation in the second (evidential) past tense differs from this, with two strategies available: an analytic form combining the negative particle övöl and the second past form of the verb (2), or synthetic negation with the help of the negative suffix -mte- attached to the verbal stem (3) (Winkler 2001: 53–54, Tarakanov 2011: 184–187).

The -mte negative suffix is also used to negate complex evidential past tense forms. The negative particle övöl has the same form as the negative present tense copula and can be used alone as a sentence (4).

Author: Erika Asztalos


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