Datapoint Tok Pisin/Negation and tense, aspect, and mood marking

Verbs with the post-verbal completive marker pinis are not negated. Rather a serial verb construction in which pinis is negated is used. This may be some indication that pinis has not completely grammaticalized as an aspect marker.

Values

Same TAM marking in negated clauses

Example 22-90:
Maunten i no bin kamap yet.
Maunten
mountain
i
pm
no
neg
bin
pst
kamap
arrive
yet.
yet
The mountain had not yet been formed.

Source: nd: EHP F16

Example 22-91:
Ol no sa lukim.
Ol
3pl
no
neg
sa
hab
lukim.
look
They did not see it.

Source: nd: EHP F16

Confidence:
Very certain