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A Grammar of Hokkaido Ainu

Knowledge base · Part XVI — Negation

128. Negative Predicates of Ability and Cognition

How does the language express negation of ability and cognition predicates?

能力や認識の述語の否定を、言語はどのように表現するか？

Lexically suppletive negative modal/cognition predicates — eaykap 'cannot', eramiskari 'not know how/never', erampewtek 'not understand' — versus analytic somo negation.

candidate topic from the first edition topic:negation/negation-ability-cognition-predicates read this topic as text

7claims
25statements
12sources
11examples
7sections
62first-edition sentences

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A class of lexically negative predicates 1 claims ·7 sentences

What defines a class of lexically negative predicates?

  1. Some lexical predicates have inherently negative suppletive counterparts, such as eranpewtek for eramuan, eaykap for easkay, and isam for an.
    一部の語彙的述語には固有の否定的対応形が存在し、eramuan に対する eranpewtek、easkay に対する eaykap、an に対する isam などがその例である。
    existence ainu existential eramuaneranpewtekeaskayeaykapanisam
    asserts sato2008

Morphology and derivation 10 sentences

How are lexically negative predicates morphologically derived?

Argument structure and the auxiliary frame 2 claims ·9 sentences· 4 examples

What argument structure and auxiliary frame do these predicates have?

  1. Three negative auxiliaries (eramiskari, etoranne, oripak) may also function as independent verbs and may occasionally have ka interpolated between the main verb and the auxiliary.
    否定助動詞のうち3語（eramiskari、etoranne、oripak）は自立動詞としても機能し得て、本動詞と助動詞の間に ka が挿入されることがある。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai existential eramiskarietoranneoripakka
    asserts refsing1986
  2. The negative auxiliaries koyaykus, maka, and nukuri are found only as auxiliaries and never appear with the interpolated postposition ka.
    否定助動詞 koyaykus、maka、nukuri は助動詞としてのみ現れ、後置詞 ka が挿入されて現れることは決してない。
    absence hokkaido/southwest/shizunai universal koyaykusmakanukurika
    asserts refsing1986
k=apkas eaykap
1SG.S=walk cannot
‘I cannot walk.’
kanazawa1898 SAR NINJAL ed., 4#16
na hepera paye a=eaykap ru-we an
more upstream go.PL 4.A=cannot track-POSS exist
‘Is it that one cannot go any further upstream?’
kanazawa1898 SAR NINJAL ed., 61#71
a=tekehe ka a=epuni ka eaykap pe ne kusu
4=hand.POSS even 4.A=raise even cannot NMLZ COP because
‘Because I could not even raise my hand,’
nakagawa2024:323 SAR Nakagawa ex. 532
kira=an ka apkas=an ka eaykap no cis patek a=ki kor
flee=4.S even walk=4.S even cannot ADV cry only 4.A=do while
‘Unable to flee or to walk, doing nothing but cry,’
nakagawa2024:315 SAR Nakagawa ex. 492

Ability: eaykap, koyaykus, niwkes 2 claims ·8 sentences· 1 examples

How does the language express inability through predicates like eaykap?

  1. The negative auxiliary koyaykus means 'be disabled and cannot do'.
    否定助動詞 koyaykus は「支障があって〜できない」を意味する。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai universal koyaykus
    asserts refsing1986
  2. The negative auxiliary nukuri means 'not have the strength to do'.
    否定助動詞 nukuri は「〜する気力・体力がない」を意味する。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai universal nukuri
    asserts refsing1986
ukuran ku=mokor koyaykus
last.night 1SG.S=sleep cannot
‘Last night I could not sleep.’
kanazawa1898 SAR NINJAL ed., 17#63

Cognition: experience and understanding 7 sentences· 3 examples

How does the language distinguish negative cognition predicates for experience versus understanding?

cip a=o ka eramiskari p ne korka
boat 4.A=board even never NMLZ COP although
‘Although I had never been in a boat,’
nakagawa2024:315 SAR Nakagawa ex. 486
an=cise soyke ta asip=an ka eramuskare
4=house outside LOC go.out=4.S even never
‘I had never even gone outside my house.’
nakagawa2024:315 ISH Nakagawa ex. 488, after Otsuka 1990: 259
ku=nukar korka k=erampewtek
1SG.A=see although 1SG.A=not.understand
‘I looked at it, but I do not understand.’
kanazawa1898 SAR NINJAL ed., 40#58

Interaction with somo, and the question of blocking 1 claims ·14 sentences· 2 examples

How do lexical negatives interact with standard negation like somo?

  1. A small number of verbs and verb auxiliaries possess inherently negative counterparts, and somo is never used with them.
    少数の動詞および動詞助詞には対応する固有の否定形が存在し、それらに対して somo は決して用いられない。
    absence hokkaido/southwest/shizunai universal somo
    asserts refsing1986
e=erampewtek yakka somo ku=iruska
2SG.A=not.understand even.if NEG 1SG.S=be.angry
‘Even if you do not understand, I will not be angry.’
kanazawa1898 SAR NINJAL ed., 40#11
sir-kunne kor soyne hi a=eramiskari aan ru-we somo ne
land-be.dark when go.out NMLZ 4.A=not.know PFV track-POSS NEG COP
‘I had not known that he went out when night fell.’
nakagawa2024:393 SAR Nakagawa ex. 780

Boundaries and dialect evidence 1 claims ·7 sentences· 1 examples

What boundaries define the class of lexically negative predicates across dialects?

  1. The negative auxiliary maka means 'not like to do (eat)'.
    否定助動詞 maka は「〜する（食べる）のを好まない」を意味する。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai universal maka
    asserts refsing1986
kuani anakne pu ari an cise ku=nukar eramuskare
1SG TOP storehouse QUOT exist house 1SG.A=see never
‘I have never seen a building called a storehouse.’
takahashi2016:74 TOK Honbetsu; consultant Sawai Tomeno