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A Grammar of Hokkaido Ainu

Knowledge base · Part XIV — Tense, Aspect, Mood, and Modality

117. Abilitative easkay / eaykap (Ability and Possibility)

How does the language encode ability and inability using a lexical pair of auxiliary verbs?

その言語は、能力と不可能を語彙的な対の助動詞でどのように符号化するのか？

easkay 'be able to' and its lexicalized negative counterpart eaykap 'cannot' encode root ability and possibility.

candidate topic from the first edition topic:tam/abilitative-easkay-eaykap read this topic as text

13claims
28statements
10sources
7examples
5sections
38first-edition sentences

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The chapter, its sections, the sources it cites, the chapters it cross-references, the forms it mentions most, and the claims grouped under it with the sources that assert, propose, doubt or reject each.

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A claim is one proposition; under it stand the statements of each source, with the stance that source takes. Claims are grouped by a model from the extracted statements and carry that status until reviewed.

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The abilitative set and its position in the TAM system 5 sentences

Which transitive verbs grammaticalize as auxiliaries for ability and inability, and how are they classified in the TAM system?

The V(ka)Vt frame: morphology and the person locus 3 claims ·9 sentences· 1 examples

What morphological frame do ability auxiliaries use, and where do person affixes attach?

  1. In Shizunai Ainu, the verbs askay and aykap function as auxiliaries denoting possibility and impossibility.
    静内アイヌ語において、動詞 askay および aykap は可能と不可能を表す動詞助動詞として機能する。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai all askayaykap
    asserts refsing1986
  2. In Shizunai Ainu, askay and aykap obligatorily take the prefix e- when functioning as potential auxiliaries.
    静内アイヌ語において、askay と aykap は可能助動詞として機能する際、常に接頭辞 e- を伴う。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai all askayaykape-easkayeaykap
    asserts refsing1986
  3. In Shizunai Ainu, the restrictive postposition ka may be interpolated between the verb and the potential auxiliary for emphasis.
    静内アイヌ語において、強調のために動詞と可能助動詞の間に限定の後置詞 ka が挿入されることがある。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai sometimes ka
    asserts refsing1986
sinotca-easkay=an
song.compose-be.able=4.S
‘I could compose songs.’
ilcaa1976 SAR Kawakami Matsuko, uwepeker 8(2) [aa-irc/007#380]

easkay: ability and possibility 3 claims ·5 sentences· 2 examples

What types of ability and possibility does the verb 'easkay' express?

  1. In Sakhalin Ainu, the auxiliary verb 'e'askay expresses ability or skill in performing an action.
    樺太アイヌ語において、助動詞 'e'askay は能力や動作が上手であることを表す。
    form-function sakhalin all 'e'askay
    asserts murasaki2025
  2. The transitive verb easkay functions as an auxiliary expressing potentiality ('can / be able to').
    他動詞 easkay は助動詞として「〜できる」という可能を表す。
    form-function ainu all easkay
    asserts nakagawa2024
  3. The auxiliary easkay 'can, be skilled at' is also used as an independent verb.
    easkay「〜ができる、〜がうまい」は動詞としても用いられる。
    distribution generic easkay
    asserts sato2008
aoka ka sikunu=an easkay pe ne na
we even survive=4.S be.able NMLZ COP FIN
‘We too can survive.’
ilcaa1976 SAR Kawakami Matsuko, uwepeker 8(2) [aa-irc/007#127]
yaykata kina poka a=kar easkay hi neno
by.oneself greens just 4.A=gather be.able NMLZ since
‘from when she could gather wild greens by herself’
ilcaa1976 SAR Kawakami Matsuko, uwepeker 9 [aa-irc/009#305]

eaykap and koyaykus: inability distinguished by source 7 claims ·12 sentences· 4 examples

How does the language express inability lexically, and what distinguishes 'eaykap' from 'koyaykus'?

  1. In Sakhalin Ainu, the auxiliary verb 'e'aykah expresses inability due to lack of internal capacity.
    樺太アイヌ語において、助動詞 'e'aykah は能力の欠如による不可能を表す。
    form-function sakhalin all 'e'aykah
    asserts murasaki2025
  2. In Sakhalin Ainu, the auxiliary verb koyaykus expresses inability due to external circumstances.
    樺太アイヌ語において、助動詞 koyaykus は周囲の状況による不可能を表す。
    form-function sakhalin all koyaykus
    asserts murasaki2025
  3. The transitive verb eaykap functions as an auxiliary expressing impossibility ('cannot / be unable to') in a broad sense, including lack of ability or circumstantial impediment.
    他動詞 eaykap は助動詞として能力がない場合や状況が許さない場合を含め、広い意味で不可能なこと（「〜できない」）を表す。
    form-function ainu all eaykap
    asserts nakagawa2024
  4. The auxiliary eaykap 'cannot do' is also used as an independent verb.
    eaykap は動詞としても用いられる。
    distribution generic eaykap
    asserts sato2008
  5. The auxiliary verb koyayekus expresses the inability to endure something or that something is too painful to do.
    助動詞 koyayekus は「苦しくてできない、忍耐・我慢ができない」という意味を表す。
    form-function generic koyayekus
    asserts sato2008
  6. In colloquial Ainu, eaykap is never used as an independent verb (*k-eaykap), whereas in literary style, forms such as a-eaykap 'I cannot' are commonly found.
    口語では eaykap が動詞として使われた例は皆無（*k-eaykap）だが、雅語では a-eaykap「私ができない」という例が普通に見られる。
    variation hokkaido all eaykapa-eaykap
    asserts sato2008
  7. The auxiliary verb eaykap 'cannot' occurs after the inflected personal form of the verb, in the same position as somo ki.
    eaykap「できない」は助動詞であるため，somo ki と同様に動詞人称形の後ろに置かれる。
    distribution ainu generic eaykap
    asserts sato2008
soyne=an ka eaykap kusu
go.out=4.S even be.unable because
‘because I cannot go outside,’
ilcaa1976 SAR Kawakami Matsuko, uwepeker 7 [aa-irc/005#48]
aynu mosir ka ta ney ta pakno an=an ka eaykap kusu
human land even LOC wherever LOC until exist=4.S even be.unable because
‘because I cannot stay in the human realm indefinitely,’
ilcaa1976 SAR Kawakami Matsuko, uwepeker 7 [aa-irc/005#214]
somo a=ahunke eaykap pe ne na
NEG 4.A=let.in be.unable NMLZ COP FIN
‘There is no way one cannot let (you) in.’
ilcaa1976 SAR Kawakami Matsuko, uwepeker 8(2) [aa-irc/007#211]
e=ma eaykap yakun atuy or ta e=sus ka koyaykus
2SG.S=walk be.unable COND sea place LOC 2SG.S=swim even circ.unable
‘If you cannot walk, you cannot even swim in the sea.’
ijas2023 constructed

Lexical negation and the negation-ability interface 7 sentences

How is negation handled for ability predicates: by negating a single base or via separate lexicalized forms?