(Udmurt)

DbleNeg & SmplNeg

DbleNeg: Negation is expressed through the use of both a negative pronoun and a negative predicate.

SmplNeg: Only affirmative predicates can be used with negative pronouns. Negation is therefore expressed only on the pronoun.

(1)nokyćešug-śekyt-leśözkyškaľaso.
no_kindhardhardABLNEG.3PSTbe_afraid.CNG.SG(s)he
’(S)he wasn’t afraid of any kind of hardship.’ (Tarakanov 2011: 134)

(2)sokunomyr-leśkyškanöjval.
thennothingABLfearNEG.PST.3SGbe.PST
’Then there was nothing to be afraid of.’ (Udmurt corpus)

(3)kyška-nynomyr-leś.
be_afraidINFnothingABL
’There’s nothing to be afraid of.’ (Udmurt corpus)

(4)mašina-meotćykeľt-i,so-inikńema-in
car1SG.ACCthere.ILLleavePST.1SGitINSCOMPCLnothingINSCOM
myny-nylu-o-z.
goINFbeFUT3SG
’I left my car there so there will be nothing for me to go there with.’ (Marajko 29.09.2013)

(5) aľiušjaśky-nyńema-in.
nowboastinfnothingINSCOM
’Now there’s nothing to boast about.’ (Udmurt corpus)

(6)gužemtatynšoka-nyńema-in val.
summerherebreatheINFnothingINSCOMbe.PST
’It was impossible to breathe here in the summer.’ (Udmurt corpus)

In Udmurt, the negative predicate tends to accompany a negative pronoun (1)–(2). In negative existential sentences, however, double negation is not obligatory (3)–(6) vs. (2). Further research is needed to establish the details.

Author: Erika Asztalos


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