The term negative verb or negative auxiliary refers to an auxiliary verb whose function is to negate the clause in which it occurs. Negative verbs are similar in function to English not and -n't, but unlike English not (which is not a verb) a negative verb inflects for agreement with the subject. This can be seen in the following two examples from Finnish. In the affirmative sentence (1) agreement appears on the main verb syödä 'eat'. In the negative sentence (2) agreement appears on the negative verb ei and the main verb appears in a non-finite form.
While the discussion of negative verbs is common in the context of Uralic languages like Finnish, they are known to occur in a variety of language families. For example, the Tungusic language Uilta (Orok) displays similar behavior to Finnish, only here the negative verb inflects both for subject agreement and tense:
While not vanishingly rare, negative verbs are a relatively uncommon form of clausal negation in the world's languages. Most languages use some sort of negation particle (such as English not) or a verbal affix (such as the suffix -me in Turkish); still others use a combination two non-verbal markers (so-called double negation). Each of these three strategies is more common than negative verbs.
The main factor that distinguishes negative verbs from negative particles is that they display the morphological and syntactic properties of verbs. Thus, a negative verb should conjugate like a verb, displaying, for example, agreement and tense morphology in languages that have these features. They will also appear in syntactic positions associated with verbs. However, the morphology and syntax of some languages will not always make it possible to conclusively distinguish between negative verbs and negative particles.
Uralic languages Uralic languages differ from each other in the particulars of negation predicate use but continue to show specific similarities. For defining different patterns of negation predicates it is necessary to know about the lexical verb (LV) and the finite form (FE). Miestamo defined four types of asymmetry in negation verbs. The first type shows a prominent appearance in Uralic languages. It is defined as A/Fin (A = asymmetry | Fin = finiteness) and describes that influenced by the negation verb, the finiteness of the LV is reduced or lost. For example, the LV loses the finiteness because the clause is marked by the de-verbalizing negative morpheme. Therefore, the copula is added as a type that holds the finite status (FE). In some Uralic languages, speakers produce connegatives to construct the syntactically acceptable word form used in negative clauses.
Finnish The standard negation (SN) in the Finnish language is realized by a verbal complex. First the LV with a non-finite character is formed followed by the finite element which is presented as the negative auxiliary. The root of the auxiliary is 'e-'. The ending gives information about person and number. The marker for tense is not presented on the auxiliary and is only dependent on the clausal context. Therefore, tense is marked on the LV separated from the auxiliary and appears as connegative form in present tense and past participle in past tense.
Negative Verb - Overview for clausal negations SN in main clauses - AUX(iliary) 'ei': 'e-' + Person/Number marking - Main verb: connegative or participle
- AsymmetricNon-verbal predicatesSNImperatives/Prohibitive sentencesAUX 'äl-' + idiosyncratic Person and mood markingNegation in dependent clausesFinite: SN Indicative, conditional, and potential Person Singular Plural 1. en emme 2. et ette 3. ei eivät
The verb to be negated is inflected in the same way for all these forms: en maalaa "I don't paint", et maalaa, ei maalaa, emme maalaa, ette maalaa, eivät maalaa, from maalata "to paint". This form is the same as for the third person singular. The passive is formed as ei maalata "is not painted".
Imperative Person Singular Plural 1. - älkäämme 2. älä älkää 3. älköön älkööt
The verb to be negated takes the form älä maalaa "do not paint" in the second person singular and the form with -ko in älköön maalatko, älkäämme maalatko, älkäätte maalatko, älkööt maalatko in other persons and numbers. The (rarely used) passive form is älköön maalattako. Colloquial Finnish more likely uses the construction ei saa maalata "it is not allowed to be painted".
Estonian The Estonian language uses a particle-like non-inflectional negative auxiliary which is hierarchically presented on a pre-verbal slot. The auxiliary is realized as 'ei'. A special form differs from the SN while forming the connegative in the present tense, in the past form, or in the active past participle. In the Estonian language, the fictional character doesn't seem to be a necessary feature for the negative auxiliary, which differs from other Uralic languages. This is important because the question appears, if the auxiliary has to show a flectional marker even if the LV is not showing any flectional marker without using the negation modus.
Negative Verb - Strategies in clausal negations Clausal SN; finite: indicative, conditional, evidental 'ei-' (uninflected) + verb in connegativeProhibitive sentences'ära' (inflected) + verb in connegative or inflected (variation)Negation in locative, equative, inclusive, attributive constructions'ei' (uninflected) + copula in connegative Indicative, conditional, and oblique Person Singular Plural 1. ei ei 2. ei ei 3. ei ei
Imperative Person Singular Plural 1. - ärgem; ärme 2. ära ärge 3. ärgu ärgu
Skolt Saami In Skolt Saami the SN shows a negative auxiliary compared with a non-finite LV. For imperative a special case is provided.
Negative Verb - Summary SN - Negation AUX: 'ij' + LV - Negation copula (replaces Positive copula) + verbNegation of imperativesNegation AUX + Imperative + verbNegation of non-verbal predicates -SN - Negation copula (general stative negator, alternative to SN)Negation in dependent clauses - finite: SN - non-finite: verbal abessive
South Saami In South Saami, the SN is realized by a negative auxiliary. This form is used in present tense and the preterite. The LV is presented as a connegative form. A special case is presented while creating the imperative. In this case the negative auxiliary gets a full personal paradigm except for the third person 'dual'. The third person in singular in present tense of the negative auxiliary is prohibited as a negative reply.
Negative Verb - Strategies in clausal negations SNNegative AUX + connegative verbImperative/prohibitive sentences- Negative AUX 'aell-' (prohibitive) + connegative verb
- Negative AUX 'oll-' (apprehensive) + connegative verbNegation of non-verbal predicates Negative AUX + connegative verbNegation in dependent clausesNegative AUX + connegative verb
Inari Sami The negative verb is conjugated in moods and personal forms in Inari Sami.
Indicative, conditional, and potential mood Person Singular Dual Plural 1. jie´m eän ep 2. jie´h eppee eppeđ 3. ij eä´vá eä
Imperative Person Singular Dual Plural 1. eällum eäl´loon eällup 2. ele ellee elleđ 3. eä´lus eällus eällus
Northern Sami The negative verb is conjugated in moods and personal forms in Northern Sami.
Indicative, conditional, and potential mood Person Singular Dual Plural 1. in ean eat 2. it eahppi ehpet 3. ii eaba eai
Imperative Person Singular Dual Plural 1. allon allu allot 2. ale alli allet 3. allos alloska alloset
Lule Sami The negative verb is conjugated in moods and personal forms in Lule Sami.
Indicative, conditional, and potential mood Person Singular Dual Plural 1. iv en ep 2. i ähppe ehpit 3. ij äbá e
Hungarian Hungarian has lost most evidence of a negative verb, but the negation particle 'nem' becomes 'ne' before verbs in the jussive/imperative (also sometimes called the conditional mood or J-mood). Furthermore, the 3rd person present indicative of the copular verb ('lenni') has unique negative forms 'nincs(en)' and 'nincsenek' as opposed to 'nem van' and 'nem vannak', but only when the particle and verb would occur adjacently. In all other instances, the copular verb acts regularly. These forms are also unique in that they have an existential role "there is (not)" and "there are (not)". In the present indicative 3rd person, copular verbs are not used; rather the absence of a verb (with or without a negation particle) implies the copula.
Komi In the Komi language, the negative marker and the form of the negative construction are dependent on the clausal tense. If the corresponding affirmative predicate is based on a verbal form, a negative auxiliary is used. This is not convertible for affirmative verbs with nominal forms. The negative auxiliary is used in present tense, future tense, 1st past tense of indicative, and in the imperative and optative mood.
Negative Verb - Strategies in clausal negations SN - present & future tense
- 1st past tense
- 2nd past tense
- 3rd past tense
- 4th past tense
- 5th past tense
- 6th past tense'o-' + V - Connegative (CNG)
'e-' + V - Connegative
'abu' + V
'veli' + 'o-' + V - Connegative
a) 'abu' + 'veli' + V
b) 'e-' + 'be' - CNG + V
'velem' + 'o-' + V - CNG
'velem' + 'ab' + V Negation of imperativesImperative (2nd person only)
Optative (3rd person only)
Conditional (all tenses)'e-' + V - CNG
'med' + 'o-' + V - CNG
'(v)éske(u)' + SN Negation in dependent/subordinate clauses - finite subordinate clauses
- non-finite subordinate verb forms:
i. Infinitives
ii. participles
iii. converbsSN
'ńe' + V-infinitive
V + 'tem'
V + 'teg'
Korean
Korean verbs can be negated by the negative verbs 않다 anta and 못하다 mothada or by the negative adverbs 안 an and 못 mot. The copula 이다 ida has a corresponding negative copula 아니다 anida. (anida is an independent word like anta and mothada, unlike ida which cannot stand on its own and must be attached to a noun.) Verb Tense Affirmative With a negative verb With a negative adverb 않다 anta 못하다 mothada 안 an 못 mot 가다gadato go Nonpast 간다ganda 가지 않는다gaji anneunda 가지 못한다gaji mothanda 안 간다an ganda 못 간다mot ganda Past 갔다gatda 가지 않았다gaji anatda 가지 못했다gaji mothaetda 안 갔다an gatda 못 갔다mot gatda 먹다meokdato eat Nonpast 먹는다meongneunda 먹지 않는다meokji anneunda 먹지 못한다meokji mothanda 안 먹는다an meongneunda 못 먹는다mot meongneunda Past 먹었다meogeotda 먹지 않았다meokji anatda 먹지 못했다meokji mothaetda 안 먹었다an meogeotda 못 먹었다mot meogeotda
Japanese
nai (ない) can be a verb for negation or a suffix to indicate the negative form of i-adjectives in Japanese.
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