Votian/Imperfect Tense Negation

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Imperfect tense negation

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

• The negation verb has the following indicative forms according to the number and person of the subject: eni, emmak, eti, ettak, epi, evat.
  • See the present tense negation chapter about dialectal and morphophonological alternatives of them.
• The main verb is represented by it's past participle either in singular nominative -nut or in plural nominative case -nutet regardless to the person of the subject e.g. emmä vēnnǖD ('We did not take (it away).') vs. et vēnnü ('You did not take (it away).').
  • See the participle chapter about dialectal and morphophonological alternatives of the morphemes -nut and -nutet.

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

Morphemes

Person	Singular	Plural
1.	eni -nut	emmak -nutet
2.	eti -nut	ettak -nutet
3.	epi -nut	evat -nutet

Dialectal alternatives

1. In Eastern Votic dialect they have added a metanalytic morpheme -k to the past participle's singular nominative -nut for past tense negation e.g. emmäG ̮vēnnǖD ('We did not take (it away).') vs. et vēnnüG ('You did not take (it away).'). The suffix -k is probably borrowed from the present tense negation here, where it was a present tense marker .

Person	Singular	Plural
1.	eni -nutk	emmak -nutet
2.	eti -nutk	ettak -nutet
3.	epi -nutk	evat -nutet

1. In Kodavere dialect the negation verb has specific past tense forms: eZìn, eZìmä, eZìD, eZìttä, es̀, eZìD. This feature is unique among all the Finnic dialects, but has parallels in other Uralic languages e.g. Erzya eźiń, eźińek, eźit́, eźid́e, eś, eśt́.

Morphophonology

• Past imperfect tense negation is always in the same grade as all the suffixal imperative forms except the singular of the second person e.g. elkō jättägō ('Let him not leave (it)!') vs. et jättännü ('You did not leave (it)!') or page̮t-kā ('Escape!') vs. emmä page̮n-nūD ('We did not escape.').

See the participle chapter for detailed explanations.

Phonological history

• The negation forms of the third person epi and evat are derived fom a present participle.
• See the participle chapter about the phonological history of -nut and -nutet.

Other Finnic dialects

The first person of singular

• Standard Finnish : en e.g. en luke-nut ('I did not read!')
• Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : en e.g. en luge-nnun ('I did not read!')
• Vepsian dialects : en e.g. en luge-nd ('I did not read!')
• Ingrian dialects : en e.g. en lukkē-nD ('I did not read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei luge-nud ('I did not read!')
• South Estonian Räpina dialects : es e.g. es loe-ʔ or loe ̮es̀ ('I did not read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : iz e.g. iz lu ̉-G ('I did not read!')

The first person of plural

• Standard Finnish : emme e.g. emme luke-neet ('We did not read!')
• Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : emmä e.g. emmä luge-nnut ('We did not read!')
• Vepsian dialects : emai e.g. emai luge-tud ('We did not read!')
• Ingrian dialects : emmä e.g. emmä luGe-nēD ('We did not read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei luge-nud ('We did not read!')
• South Estonian Räpina dialects : es e.g. es loe-ʔ or loe ̮es̀ ('We did not read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : iz e.g. iz lu ̉ggə̑-m̑ ('We did not read!')

The second person of singular

• Standard Finnish : et e.g. et luke-nut ('You did not read!')
• Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : et e.g. et luge-nnun ('You did not read!')
• Central Vepsian dialects : ed e.g. ed luge-nd ('You did not read!')
• Ingrian dialects : eD e.g. eD lukkē-nD ('You did not read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei luge-nud ('You did not read!')
• South Estonian Räpina dialects : es e.g. es loe-ʔ or loe ̮es̀ ('You did not read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : ist e.g. ist lu ̉-G ('You did not read!')

The second person of plural

• Standard Finnish : ette e.g. ette luke-neet ('You did not read!')
• Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : että e.g. että luge-nnut ('You did not read!')
• Vepsian dialects : etai e.g. etai luge-tud ('You did not read!')
• Ingrian dialects : että e.g. että luGe-nēD ('You did not read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei luge-nud ('You did not read!')
• South Estonian Räpina dialects : es e.g. es loe-ʔ or loe ̮es̀ ('You did not read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : ist e.g. ist lu ̉ggə̑-t̑ ('You did not read!')

The third person of singular

• Standard Finnish : ei e.g. ei luke-nut ('She did not read!')
• Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : ei e.g. ei luge-nnun ('She did not read!')
• Vepsian dialects : ī e.g. ī luge-nd ('She did not read!')
• Ingrian dialects : ei e.g. ei lukkē-nD ('She did not read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei luge-nud ('She did not read!')
• South Estonian Räpina dialects : es e.g. es loe-ʔ or loe ̮es̀ ('She did not read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : ist e.g. ist lu ̉-G ('She did not read!')

The third person of plural

• Standard Finnish : eivät e.g. eivät luke-neet ('They did not read!')
• Karelian dialects use indefinite voice instead e.g. Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : ei lugie-ttu ('They did not read.').
• Central Vepsian dialects : ī e.g. ī luge-tud ('They did not read!')
• Ingrian dialects : eiväD e.g. eiväD luGe-nēD ('They did not read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei luge-nud ('They did not read!')
• South Estonian Räpina dialects : es e.g. es loe-ʔ or loe ̮es̀ ('They did not read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : ist e.g. ist lu ̉ggə̑-t̑ ('They did not read!')

See also

• Grammar of Votian dialects (syllabus)
• Present tense negation
• Negative imperative

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Type classification: this is a lesson resource.

Completion status: Deliberately incomplete for educational purposes.

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