Datapoint Sri Lanka Portuguese/Negative morpheme types

The various negative forms serve different functions; e.g. nuku- non-future, naa potential/involitive, nikara habitual and prohibitive. Naa is not treated as a prefix because the vowel does not get shortened - cf. jaa- PST, which surfaces as [ja-]. The form naa also occurs independently as the negative interjection 'no', and as a tag question marker. Nikara occurs independently as a quasi-verbal predicator meaning [NEG.want]. Nuku is found only preverbally; it cannot be stressed and nothing can intervene between it and the verb. For this reason it is treated as a prefix.

Values

Negative particle Frequency: 50.0%

Example 41-6:
ɔkalɔɔra keesasu tɛɛmpupa pesaam nikara fikaa parsiidu
ɔklɔɔra
then
keesa-su
case-gen
tɛɛmpu-pa
time-dat
pesaam
person
nikara
neg.hab
fikaa
become
parsii-du
appear-adjz
So for the case date the person doesn't appear.

Source: Smith 1974-5: 4970

Example 41-12:
aka viida etus vɛrgɔɔɲantu naa papiyaa
aka
that
viida
because
etus
3pl.hon
vɛrgɔɔɲa-ntu
shyness-loc
naa
neg.fut
papiyaa
speak
Therefore, in shyness they won’t talk. OR: Therefore, they are too shy to talk.

Source: Smith 1977: 150

Example 41-14:
isti ooy interumeenti nikaraparsa. isti un coʈʈu taparsa
isti
this
ooy
eye
interumeenti
completely
nikara-parsa.
neg.hab-see
isti
this
un
a
coʈʈu
little
ta-parsa
prs-see
This eye is completely blind. This one sees a little.

Source: Smith 1974-5: 5073

Example 41-93:
tɔɔna aka midisaam inda uŋapa araa naa poyski
tɔɔna
afterwards
aka
that
midisaam
measurement
inda
yet
uŋa-pa
one-dat
araa
go.wrong
naa
neg.fut
poy=ski
habil=report
Subsequently, it won't be possible for the measurement to be misinterpreted by someone else, apparently.

Source: Smith 1974-5: 2235

Example 41-165:
kebraalav eli jaoyaa aka nikara kuza
kebraa=lav
break=as.soon.as
eli
3sg
jaa-oyaa
pst-see
aka
that
nikara
hab.neg
kuza
sew
As soon as [the sewing machine] broke, he saw it won't sew.

Source: Smith 1974-5: 5314

Example 41-166:
aka juustu naa vii
aka
that
juustu
right
naa
neg.fut
vii
come
That won’t come right. OR: That can’t be fixed.

Source: Smith 1974-5: 5394

Confidence:
Very certain

Negative affix Frequency: 50.0%

Example 41-2:
elispa inda nukutiraa noos
eli-s-pa
3.m-pl-acc
inda
yet
nuku-tiraa
neg-take
noos
1pl
We haven't engaged them yet. OR: We haven't taken them on as regular employees yet.

Source: Smith 1974-5: 1372

Example 41-67:
osiirsu fiiyapa portugees nukusava
o$siir-$su
3sg.hon-gen
fii$ya-$pa
daughter-dat
por$tu$gees
Portuguese
nu$ku-$sa$va
neg-know
His daughter doesn’t know [Sri Lanka] Portuguese.

Source: Smith 1977: 146

Confidence:
Very certain