Knowledge base · Part XIV — Tense, Aspect, Mood, and Modality · this topic as a network

118. Deontic Necessity and Obligation (kuni ne, kus ne)

How does Hokkaido Ainu express deontic necessity and obligation?

14 sentences from 11 sources · every sentence names the pages it rests on

The combination nankor na indicates necessity and functions as a soft imperative. (Refsing 1986: 203) Unlike in ordinary imperative constructions, a predicate retains its pronominal affixes in the necessative nankor na construction. (Refsing 1986: 203) Yoki-hō indicates the speaker's expectation that something should naturally or necessarily be so. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936)

easirki — obligation

How does Hokkaido Ainu express obligation using the auxiliary easirki?

The auxiliary easirki expresses deontic obligation ('must / have to') and is predominantly attested in Saru Ainu, with examples also in Horobetsu Ainu. (Nakagawa 2024: 308)

paye=an easirki p mak e=iki hawe an

go.PL=4.S must NMLZ what 2SG.A=do voice-POSS exist

‘I have to go — what are you doing?’

Nakagawa 2024: 308 · CHI

kuni ne — normative expectation

How does Hokkaido Ainu express normative expectation using kuni ne?

The necessative mood may be expressed by the form kuni in Shizunai Ainu. (Refsing 1986: 205) The light noun construction kun-i-p expresses deontic modality ('should'). (Bugaeva 2016) The auxiliary kuni 'should, ought to' does not occur at sentence-final position. (Satō 2008: 84)

wente kuni ramu kor an pe ne aan ru-we ne hine

devastate COMP think while exist NMLZ COP PRF.MIR track-POSS COP CONJ

‘— it turned out there was something thinking to cause devastation, and …’

Biratori Ainu oral literature 1969 · SAR

a=an kuni ne na

4.A=be should COP FIN

‘One ought to be there.’

· constructed

The yak pirka idioms: advice, prohibition, permission, and futility

How does Hokkaido Ainu express advice, prohibition, permission, and futility using yak pirka idioms?

somo a=ahunke eaykap pe ne na e=ahunke yak pirka na

NEG 4.A=enter.SG be.unable NMLZ COP FIN 2SG.A=enter.SG if be.good FIN

‘There is nothing stopping you from going in — you should go in.’

ILCAA Ainu materials 1976 · SAR

e=e yakka pirka

2SG.A=eat even.if be.good

‘You may eat it.’

Ijäs 2023 · constructed

e=sinki yakun e=sini yak pirka

2SG.S=be.tired if 2SG.S=rest if be.good

‘If you are tired, you should rest.’

Ijäs 2023 · constructed

kus(u) ne na as near-command

How does Hokkaido Ainu form softened commands using kus(u) ne na?

The Southern Hokkaido Ainu auxiliary kus-ne 'going to/intend to' derives from kusu 'intention (?)' followed by the copula ne. (Bugaeva 2012: 500–501) kus(u)-ne expresses intention in the first person. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) kus(u)-ne expresses prospective aspect or future. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) From the expression of intention, kus(u)-ne comes to be used as a gentle command toward the second person. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The auxiliary phrase kusu ne (kus ne) expresses 'intend to ~' or 'it is decided/turns out that ~'. (Satō 2008: 86) The idiomatic expression kus ne (or kusu ne), consisting of kus 'purpose' and ne 'copula', expresses that something is scheduled/intended to happen ('be supposed to do'). (Satō 2008: 123) The volitional/future auxiliary construction kus ne has an alternate pronunciation kusu ne. (Satō 2008: 191)

kotan wente kus arki kus ne aan ru-we ne wa

village devastate PURP come.PL PURP COP PRF.MIR track-POSS COP CONJ

‘— it turned out that they had been coming to devastate the village, and …’

Biratori Ainu oral literature 1969 · SAR

e=arpa kus ne na

2SG.S=go.SG PURP COP FIN

‘You should go / you will go, then.’

· constructed