(b) A sentence with the verb in the potential
or probability mood :-For negating a verb in either of these
moods, the negative marker mla is put between the modal marker
and the tense marker. However, However, when a verb in the
non-past potential mood is negatived, the negative marker
mla substitutes the future tense marker, as in : |
| Neg
+ wúlu nanì |
_ |
wúlumla
`can not go’ |
| Neg
+ asi cúlu nanì |
_ |
asi
cúlumla `cannot eat meat’ |
| Neg
+ asi cúlue |
_ |
asi
cúlumlae `could not eat meat’ |
| Neg
+ wúlue |
_ |
wúlumale
`could not go’ |
| Neg
+ wúluwi |
_ |
wúlumalawi
`might not go’ |
| Neg
+ cúluwi |
_ |
cúlumalawi
`might not eat, etc. |
|
|
(c)
A simple sentence with a verb in different aspects and simple
tenses.- The negative marker mo is used for negating all constructions
other than the ones mentioned above. This would include a
verb in different aspects and simple tenses. The negative
marker mo is pre-posed to the tense marker. If the verb has
an aspect marker, mo is post-posed to the aspect marker, otherwise
post-posed to the verb root. Thus its construction would be
: VR ± aspect + Neg ± tense, as in : |
Neg
+ z
anì |
- |
zamo
`is not sleeping’ |
| Neg
+ wú cèni |
- |
wúamo
`is not going’ |
| Neg
+ ze |
- |
zmoe
`did not sleep’ |
| Neg
+ khae |
- |
Khamoe
`did not close’ etc. |
|
|
| Description
of negative markers |
| 1.
Since the negative marker mo negates a VP that does not show
any overt modal markers, it is designated
as simple negative and numerbed as negative one, as it has
the maximal distribution.
2. Since the negative marker kumo negates
equative sentences, it is designated as equative negative
and numbered as negative two.
3. Since the negative marker köha negates
the existence of any object/item, it is designated as existential
negative.As it substitutes the locative verb, it could also
be called a verbal negative; however,
the former term is preferred. It is marked negative three.
4. The negative marker kewi/ke negates a
VP in the imperative. It is, therefore, designated as imperative
negative and marked as negative four.
5. The negative marker mla negates a VP in
its potential and probability moods. It is designated as potential
negative and marked negative five. |
The
system of negation of simple affirmative sentences in Sema
was discussed. It might be pertinent to note here that there
is no difference in negating an affirmative and interrogative
sentences, for instance. |
Neg
+ noye okì lakhì anì |
|
| |
`you
have no house’ |
okì
lakhì anì kyá |
do
you have a house’? |
okì
lakhì k ha
kyá? |
`haven’t
you got a house? |
|
It
was mentioned at the beginning of this section that the negative
verb mtha `don’t know’ is used for giving a negative
expression. An illustrative example is given for this. |
no i
nii mtha1 |
`neither
you nor I know’ |
1
2 3 4 5 |
(lit.
you also I also dont’ know)’
1 2 3 4 5 |
|
| The
system of negation in Sema can now be stated in a schematic
formulae. |
| T-
{Tpr/p} |
Tpr/p
|
- |
present/past
tenses |
| {Tf
} |
Tf |
- |
future
tense |
| |
a |
- |
auxiliary/locative
verb |
| |
A |
- |
Aspect |
| |
VR |
- |
verb
root |
| |
{Neg1 |
- |
mo |
| |
{Neg2 |
- |
kumo |
| Negative- |
{Neg3 |
- |
köha |
| |
{Neg4 |
- |
kewi/ke |
| |
{Neg5 |
- |
mla |
|
| Illustrative
examples of the operation of these formulae are given below
: |
| 1 |
Neg
+ VR + a + T |
- |
VR
+ a+Neg1+ Tpr/p as in : |
| |
Neg
+ zanì |
- |
zamo
`is not sleeping’ |
| |
Neg
+ zay |
- |
zamoy
`was not sleeping’ |
|
| 1. |
mtha seems to have been derived from motha `no knowledge’
and later the vowel might have been dropped. tha in
the sense of `knowledge’ occurs as an independent
word in this language.
|
| 2. |
In
the illustrative examples given above, the VPs
have been realized by a single verb in its intransitive
construction. It makes no difference to this scheme,
even if the VPs have adverb phrases and/or noun phrases
as these constituents in such an event would be pre-posed
to the verb root. This is true of other formulae also. |
|
| |
