Datapoint Ternate Chabacano/Negative morpheme types

The main pattern in Ternate Chabacano negation is one of the features that can be attributed to the Philippine languages, even though the labels of the negative particles quite apparently have their origins in the Iberian lexifier language, and nwáy comes from the Spanish no hay 'there is not'. The properties of the Tagalog negator wala in particular have influenced the use of nwáy in Ternate Chabacano. The Philippine languages make a distinction in negative particles between standard negation and the negatives of existence. Wala is used in existential and indefinite constructions, as well as in possessive constructions (Schachter & Otanes 1972: 521). As in Ternate Chabacano, the positive counterpart of the existential negator is a different word.

Values

Negative particle

Example 44-108:
Mi mánga ího no ta entendé tʃabakáno.
Mi
1sg.poss
mánga
pl
ího
child
no
neg
ta
ipfv
entendé
understand
tʃabakáno.
Chabacano
My children do not understand Chabacano.
Spanish: Mis hijos no entienden chabacano.
Example 44-171:
Nwáy masyáo krímen, médyu tahímik el pwéblu.
Nwáy
neg.exist
masyáo
intens
krímen,
crime
médyu
half
tahímik
quiet
el
def
pwéblu.
town
There is not much crime, the town is rather quiet.
Spanish: No hay muchos crímenes, el pueblo es bastante tranquilo.
Example 44-172:
Nwáy pa yo íhu.
Nwáy
neg.exist
pa
yet
yo
1sg
íhu.
child
I do not have children yet.
Spanish: No tengo hijos todavía.
Confidence:
Very certain