Votian/Negative Imperative

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Negative imperative ^[1] ^[2]

Negative expressions are made of an auxiliary negation verb followed by a main verb.

The negation verb has the following imperative forms according to it's number and person: eläk, elka'a, elko'on, elko'ot.
The main verb has the same imperative morpheme as the auxiliary e.g. elkōD jättägōD ('Let them not leave (it)!').

The negation verb will be conjugated in various moods. See other negation lessons about this matter.

The first person of singular has only analytic imperative both in Ingria and Estonia.
The first person of plural uses usually present tense instead of imperative both in Ingria and Estonia.
- Analytic expressions are also possible.

The second person of singular:
- See the previous lessons about dialectal variations in pronunciation of final -k of the main verb and the negation verb ~ eläk.
- E.g. eläg_e̮лe̮G ~ elä e̮лe̮ ~ älä e̮лe̮ ('Don't be (like that)!'). (elä e̮le ~ älä e̮le in Lüganuse dialect ^[3])
The second person of plural:
- See the previous lessons about dialectal and morphophonological alternatives of the ending -ka'a.
- E.g. elkā e̮лkā ~ älkā e̮лkā ('Don't be (like that)!'). (älk̆ä e̮lGa ~ älGä e̮lGa in Lüganuse dialect ^[4])

The third person of singular:
- See the previous lessons about dialectal and morphophonological alternatives of the ending -ko'ot.
- E.g. elkō e̮лkō ~ älkō e̮лkō ('Don't let him be (like that)!'). (älGo e̮lGo in Lüganuse dialect ^[5])
The third person of plural:
- See the previous lessons about dialectal and morphophonological alternatives of the ending -ko'ot.
- E.g. elkōd_ e̮лkōD ~ elkō e̮лkō ~ älkō e̮лkō ('Don't let them be (like that)!'). (älGo e̮lGo in Lüganuse dialect ^[6])

Singular of the second person imperative is always in a grade opposite to any other suffixal imperative form caused by consonant gradation in stems e.g. elkō jättägō ('Let him not leave (it)!') vs. elä jätä ('Do not leave (it)!') or älkā page̮t-kā vs. elä pake̮ne̮ ('Don't escape!').

The first person of singular

Eastern Livonian dialects : al̄gə̑ e.g. al̄gə̑ lu ̉ggə̑-G (? 'I should better not read!')

The first person of plural

Standard Finnish : älkäämme e.g. älkäämme luke-ko ('Let's not read!')
Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : elgämä
Central Vepsian dialects : ougam e.g. ougam luge-goi ('Let's not read!')
Standard Estonian : ärgem e.g. ärgem luge-gem ('Let's not read!')
Eastern Livonian dialects : al̄gə̑ e.g. al̄gə̑ lu ̉ggə̑-Gə̑D ('Let's not read!')

The second person of singular

Standard Finnish : älä e.g. älä lue ('Don't read!')
Eastern Finnish dialects : elä
Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : elä e.g. Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : elä luve ('Don't read!')
Central Vepsian dialects : ala e.g. ala luge ('Don't read!')
Ingrian dialects : elä(G) e.g. elä(G) lue-G ('Don't read!')
Standard Estonian : ära e.g. ära loe ('Don't read!')
South Estonian dialects : ärʔ ~ ala e.g. South Estonian Räpina dialects : är luge̮-Goʔ ('Don't read!')
Eastern Livonian dialects : alà e.g. alà lu ̉-G ('Don't read!')

The second person of plural

Standard Finnish : älkää e.g. älkää luke-ko ('Don't read!')
Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : elgiä e.g. Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : elgiä luge-kki̮a ('Don't read!')
Vepsian dialects : algat ~ ougat e.g. ougat luge-goi ('Don't read!')
Ingrian dialects : elkkǟn e.g. elkkǟn lukke-aG ('Don't read!')
Standard Estonian : ärge e.g. ärge luge-ge ('Don't read!')
South Estonian dialects : ärkke e.g. South Estonian Räpina dialects : ärkke luge̮-Ge̮ʔ ('Don't read!')
Eastern Livonian dialects : al̄git e.g. al̄git lu ̉ggi-GiD ('Don't read!')

The third person of singular

Standard Finnish : älköön e.g. älköön luke-ko ('Don't let him read!')
Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : eĺgäh e.g. Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : eĺgäh luge-kkah ('Don't let him read!')
Vepsian dialects : algaha ~ ougaha e.g. ougaha luge-goi ('Don't let him read!')
Standard Estonian : ärgu e.g. ärgu luge-gu ('Don't let him read!')
Eastern Livonian dialects : al̄gə̑ e.g. al̄gə̑ lu ̉ggə̑-G ('Don't let him read!')

The third person of plural

Standard Finnish : älkööt e.g. älkööt luke-ko ('Don't let them read!')
Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : eĺgäh e.g. eĺgäh luge-kkah ('Don't let them read!')
Central Vepsian dialects : ougaha e.g. ougaha luge-goi ('Don't let them read!')
Ingrian dialects : elkkǟsse(G) e.g. elkkǟsse(G) lukke-aG ('Don't let them read!')
Standard Estonian : ärgu e.g. ärgu luge-gu ('Don't let them read!')
South Estonian dialects : ärkko e.g. South Estonian Räpina dialects : ärkko luge̮-Goʔ ('Don't let them read!')
Eastern Livonian dialects : al̄gə̑D e.g. al̄gə̑D lu ̉ggə̑-Gə̑D ('Don't let them read!')

↑ Ariste, Paul Vadja keele grammatika. Tartu, 1948. p. 90
↑ Laanest, Arvo: Sissejuhatus läänemeresoome keeltesse, Tallinn 1975. p.173
↑ Must, Mari 1987. Kirderannikumurre: häälikuline ja grammatiline ülevaade. p. 256
↑ Must, Mari 1987. Kirderannikumurre: häälikuline ja grammatiline ülevaade. p. 256
↑ Must, Mari 1987. Kirderannikumurre: häälikuline ja grammatiline ülevaade. p. 256
↑ Must, Mari 1987. Kirderannikumurre: häälikuline ja grammatiline ülevaade. p. 256
↑ Laanest, Arvo: Sissejuhatus läänemeresoome keeltesse, Tallinn 1975. p.154, 163-181