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A Grammar of Hokkaido Ainu

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

114. Imperative and Prohibitive (Directive Mood)

How does the language form positive and negative directives, and how does it distinguish singular from plural or polite addressees?

その言語は、肯定と否定の命令形をどのように形成し、単数と複数または丁寧な聞き手をどのように区別するのか？

Bare-stem imperatives, the -yan plural/polite imperative, and the iteki prohibitive form one directive-mood system.

candidate topic from the first edition topic:tam/imperative-and-prohibitive read this topic as text

40claims
124statements
16sources
9examples
7sections
42first-edition sentences

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Forms mentioned

yan 9iteki 6hani 4ikiya 3un= 2nankor na 2ro 1rok 1no 1en= 1i= 1un=epunkine 1e=un=epunkine 1a=un=epunkine 1ya 1hosipi 1hosippa 1ek 1arki 1yanani 1ani 1hanke 1wa kore 1wa 1kore 1en=kore 1un=kore 1kusu ne na 1iteki … no V 1ika 1inkian 1ikiya e=honi arka na 1ecik(k)i 1etiki 1eciki 1somo 1e= 1yak pirka 1

Claims

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.

Sections

·

Overview: the directive mood 4 claims ·7 sentences

What forms and distinctions make up the directive mood system of the language?

  1. Imperative sentences are formed with a verb form that omits or lacks subject personal affixes.
    命令文は動詞に主格人称接辞が付かない形（主語要素を省略した形）によって形成される。
    form-function ainu all
    asserts sato2008, kindaichi1936, shibatani1990
  2. In Sakhalin Ainu, the final particle koh forms an imperative restricted to social inferiors such as children.
    樺太アイヌ語において終助詞 koh は子どもなど目下の者にのみ用いられる命令形を形成する。
    distribution sakhalin all koh
    asserts murasaki2025
  3. Interjections like hokure and hetak frequently introduce imperative sentences.
    hokure や hetak などの感嘆詞が命令文を導くことがよくある。
    distribution ainu frequently hokurehetak
    asserts kindaichi1936
  4. The markers yan, ro, and na are sentence-final elements associated with imperative sentences.
    yan、ro、na は命令文に関連する文末接辞である。
    membership ainu all yanrona
    asserts refsing1986

The bare-stem singular imperative 8 claims ·6 sentences· 1 examples

How does the language form an imperative directed at a single addressee?

  1. A verb form lacking subject affixes is formally ambiguous between a singular imperative addressed to the second person and a third-person declarative clause.
    主格接辞のない動詞形は、形式上、二人称への単数命令文か三人称主語の平叙文かの区別がつかず文脈に依存する。
    analysis ainu all
    asserts nakagawa2024, sato2008
  2. In the Ishikari dialect, the sentence-final particle ya attaches to singular verb forms to mark a singular imperative.
    石狩方言では、動詞単数形に終助詞 ya を後続させて単数命令を表す。
    form-function hokkaido/central/ishikari all ya
    asserts nakagawa2024, nakagawafukazawa2022
  3. In Sakhalin Ainu, the singular imperative is expressed by the bare verb stem uttered with terminal rising intonation.
    樺太アイヌ語において相手が単数の命令形は、動詞語幹をそのまま文末を上昇調で発音して表される。
    form-function sakhalin all
    asserts murasaki2025
  4. An imperative addressed to a single person is formed with a verb lacking subject personal affixes.
    単数の相手に対する命令文は、動詞に主格人称接辞をつけない形で形成される。
    form-function ainu all
    asserts nakagawa2024
  5. Transitive verbs that normally require an overt object may occasionally occur without an object in imperative clauses in Shizunai.
    静内方言において、通常は目的語を必要とする他動詞であっても命令文では目的語なしで用いられることがある。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai sometimes euk
    asserts refsing1986
  6. Imperatives formed by using the bare verb carry a rough or hasty nuance.
    動詞を単独で用いる命令文には、ぞんざい、あるいは性急な命令というニュアンスがある。
    form-function ainu all
    asserts sato2008
  7. The particle ora appears to function to emphasize commands.
    助詞 ora は命令を強調する機能を持つようである。
    form-function ainu all ora
    asserts sato2008
  8. In imperative sentences, the clause-final syllable is pronounced high and long, distinguishing them prosodically from declarative sentences.
    命令文では文末が高く長く発音されるのが通例であり、イントネーションによって平叙文と区別される。
    form-function hokkaido normally
    asserts sato2008
hetak pusu wa inkar
INTERJ dig CONJ look
‘Come on, dig it up and look!’
nakagawa2024:422 CHI Nakagawa ex. 911

The plural and polite imperative: yan 8 claims ·6 sentences· 1 examples

How does the language mark an imperative as plural or polite?

  1. The sentence-final particle yan is used for plural addressees and also for polite directives addressed to a single person.
    終助詞 yan は複数の相手に対する命令のほか、単数の相手に対する丁寧な命令にも用いられる。
    form-function ainu all yan
    asserts nakagawa2024, refsing1986, shibatani1990
  2. For plural addressees, yan is added to the plural verb stem when the verb distinguishes number.
    聞き手が複数の場合、単複の区別がある動詞では複数形語幹に yan が後続する。
    form-function ainu all yan
    asserts bugaeva2012, murasaki2025, nakagawa2022, nakagawa2024
  3. As a rule, hani is used for singular commands while yan is used for plural commands, but yan can be polite singular and yan hani plural polite.
    命令助詞として単数には hani、複数には yan を用いるのが原則であるが、丁寧表現では単数に yan、複数に yan hani も用いられる。
    distribution ainu all haniyanyan hani
    asserts kindaichi1936
  4. A plural verb stem cannot be used alone as an imperative; yan is obligatory when the addressee is plural.
    命令の対象が複数の場合、複数形語幹単独で命令文を形成することはできず、yan の付加が必須である。
    distribution ainu all yan
    asserts nakagawa2022, nakagawa2024, sato2008
  5. The final particle yan functions as a marker of polite commands.
    終助詞 yan は丁寧な命令を表す標識として機能する。
    form-function ainu all yan
    asserts bugaeva2008, sato2008
  6. In Shizunai Ainu, the final particle yan may indicate either a plural subject or a plural object in an imperative predicate.
    静内方言において終助詞 yan は命令述語において複数主語または複数目的語を表すことができる。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai all yan
    asserts refsing1986
  7. The marker yan is underlyingly a plural addressee marker, deriving its polite nuance toward a single addressee pragmatically through indirectness.
    yan は本来的には複数命令の形式であり、単数に転用されることで間接性により丁寧さを表すようになったと考えられる。
    analysis hokkaido all yan
    proposes sato2008
  8. The imperative particle yan may take the allomorphic shape an following a consonant.
    命令助詞 yan は子音の後で an に交替することがある。
    alternation hokkaido sometimes yanan
    asserts sato2008
ku=kor kuruma o wa hosippa yan
1SG.A=have car board CONJ return.PL IMP
‘Get in my car and go home!’
nakagawa2024:422 CHI Nakagawa ex. 914

Softeners and benefactive requests: hani and wa kore 5 claims ·4 sentences· 3 examples

How does the language soften a directive or form a benefactive request?

  1. Adding a benefactive imperative auxiliary like wa en=kore expresses a polite request rather than a plain command.
    動詞 kore「与える」を用いた wa en=kore などの授与補助動詞を後続させることで、平易な命令よりも丁寧な依頼を表す。
    form-function ainu all wa en=koreun=korei=korekore
    asserts nakagawa2024, refsing1986
  2. The sentence-final particle hani can be added to an imperative to soften the tone and provide reassurance or urging.
    命令文末に終助詞 hani を付加することで、口調を和らげ念を押すようなニュアンスを添えることができる。
    form-function ainu all hani
    asserts nakagawa2024, shibatani1990
  3. The verb sequence wa pirka functions as a polite directive construction.
    動詞連続構文 wa pirka は丁寧な命令（「〜してよい」）を表す。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest all wa pirka
    asserts bugaeva2012
  4. The particle hani often loses initial h and takes the form ani following a consonant.
    終助詞 hani は子音で終わる語の後で語頭の h が脱落して ani になることが多い。
    alternation ainu often haniani
    asserts nakagawa2024
  5. The auxiliary collocation wa kore is used exclusively in directive expressions and does not appear in declarative clauses.
    補助動詞的連語 wa kore は命令表現でのみ用いられ、平叙文には現れないようである。
    distribution hokkaido all wa kore
    asserts sato2008
pirkano mokor hani
well sleep SOFT
‘Please sleep well!’
tamura2000:242 SAR
iteki omkekar yan hani
PROH shout IMP SOFT
‘Please don't shout.’
sato2008:72 SAR
suke wa en=kore
cook CONJ 1SG.O=give
‘Please cook [it] for me.’
constructed

The prohibitive: iteki and its dialect variants 9 sentences· 1 examples

How does the language express a negative directive (prohibition)?

iteki ape sam ta ek
PROH fire side LOC come
‘Do not come near the fire!’
nakagawa2024:424 SAR Nakagawa ex. 924

Indirect and mitigated directives 9 claims ·3 sentences· 3 examples

How does the language form indirect or mitigated directives?

  1. A verb inflected for a second-person subject followed by kusu ne na expresses an imperative or directive meaning.
    二人称主格の人称接辞が付いた動詞に kusu ne na が後続することで命令的・指示的意味を表す。
    form-function ainu all kusu ne na
    asserts sato2008
  2. Proper imperative verb forms are restricted in usage to direct speech and main clauses.
    本来の命令形式の使用は直接話法および主節に限定される。
    distribution ainu all
    asserts bugaeva2008
  3. The construction eci-... kusu ne na functions as a directive addressed to second-person plural subjects in the Saru dialect.
    沙流方言において eci-... kusu ne na は二人称複数に対する命令表現として機能する。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/saru all eci-kusu nena
    asserts sato2008
  4. Constructions using second-person subject personal affixes, such as kusu ne na or yak pirka, serve as admonitions or indirect directives rather than simple bare imperatives.
    二人称主格接辞を用いる構文（kusu ne na や yak pirka など）は、単純な命令というより教え諭すような間接的命令を表す。
    form-function hokkaido often
    proposes sato2008
  5. Modal constructions such as yak pirka, kusu ne na, p ne na, and nankor na convey imperative meanings when used with second-person subjects, requiring subject personal affixes.
    yak pirka、kusu ne na、p ne na、nankor na などの構文は二人称で用いられるとき命令の意味を表すが、通常の命令文と異なり主格人称接辞を必要とする。
    form-function ainu all yak pirkakusu ne nap ne nanankor na
    asserts nakagawa2024
  6. The particle sequence nankor na takes on an imperative meaning specifically when used with the second person.
    nankor na は二人称とともに用いられた場合に命令の意味を表す。
    form-function ainu all nankor na
    asserts nakagawa2024
  7. The conditional construction yak pirka ('it is good if...') is frequently used with an imperative sense.
    条件表現 yak pirka（「〜すると良い」）は命令的な意味で用いられることが多い。
    form-function hokkaido frequently yak pirka
    asserts nakagawa2024
  8. Mild imperatives can be formed using elements such as nankor, kus-ne, and kuni-p.
    柔らかな命令には nankor、kus-ne、kuni-p 等が用いられる。
    form-function ainu all nankorkus-nekuni-p
    asserts kindaichi1936
  9. In Sakhalin Ainu, request forms are formed by verb-final particles kanne, waa, and koh, descending in politeness in that order.
    樺太アイヌ語では動詞に終助詞 kanne、waa、koh などを後続させて依頼形を作り、この順で丁寧度が低くなる。
    form-function sakhalin all kannewaakoh
    asserts murasaki2025
e=ahunke yak pirka na
2SG.A=let.in COND be.good FIN
‘You should let them in.’
ilcaa1976 SAR Kawakami Matsuko, uwepeker 8(2) [aa-irc/007#211]
e=kor hapo e=nukar nankor
2SG.A=have mother 2SG.A=see probably
‘You should probably go and check on your mother.’
tamura2000:243 SAR
ikiya e=hacir na
ADM 2SG.S=fall FIN
‘Take care not to fall!’
tamura2000:177 SAR

Person marking in the directive clause 6 claims ·7 sentences

How does person marking on the verb differ in directive clauses compared to declarative clauses?

  1. In the imperative, verbs lack subject person-and-number marking but must take object person marking when transitive.
    命令法において動詞は主語の人称・数標示を受けないが、他動詞である場合は目的語の人称接辞が付される。
    distribution ainu all
    asserts bugaeva2008, bugaeva2012, nakagawa2024, sato2008
  2. In Shizunai Ainu, imperative sentences are characterized by the omission of the verbal nominative pronominal affix.
    静内方言において命令文は動詞の主格代名詞接辞が脱落することによって特徴づけられる。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai all
    asserts refsing1986
  3. Affixing a second-person subject prefix to a verb to form an imperative is ungrammatical.
    二人称主格接辞を動詞に付けて命令文を作ることは文法的に認められない。
    judgement ainu all e-
    asserts sato2008
  4. Imperative forms never take subject personal affixes, standing as an exception to the general rule of obligatory subject marking on verbs.
    命令形は主格人称接辞を決して取らず、動詞に主格人称接辞が必須であるという原則の例外となっている。
    absence hokkaido all
    asserts sato2008
  5. The imperative does not take second-person nominative affixes because the argument slot is pragmatically satisfied by imperative modality.
    アイヌ語の命令形が二人称主格接辞を取らないのは、命令というモダリティにより項スロットが語用論的に充足されるためである。
    distribution ainu all
    asserts sato2023b
  6. The independent second-person pronoun eani is attested in an imperative sentence, but this usage is extremely rare.
    命令文において独立二人称代名詞 eani が用いられる実例はあるが、極めて稀で非典型的である。
    distribution hokkaido some eani
    asserts sato2008