Votian/Present Tense Negation

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Present 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.
• The main verb has always only a present tense marker -k regardless to the number and person of the subject e.g. emmäg ̮e̮le̮g ('We are not.') vs. ed ̮e̮le̮g ('You are not.').
  • The morpheme -k is pronounced as -G in Eastern Votic dialect. All the other dialects both in Ingria and Estonia have lost the phoneme *k in the end of words e.g. emmä ̮e̮le̮ ('We are not.').

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

Morphemes

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

• Singular
  • The long forms pronounced as eni, edi, ebi are used for emphasis in Ingria only. eni and edi are probably resulted of metanalysis following the example of ebi, otherwise edi must have had to undergo a regular Finnic sound change *ti > si . The origin of ebi is explained below under "Phonological history".
  • In the ordinary speech they are pronounced as en, eD, eB.
    • Their counterparts were en, et, ei in Votian like dialects of Estonia e.g. et tie ('You don't do.') .

• Plural
  • The final -k is pronounced as -G in Eastern Votic dialect. All the other dialects both in Ingria and Estonia have lost the phoneme *k in the end of words e.g. emmäg ̮e̮le̮g vs emmä ̮e̮le̮ ('We are not.').
  • In Ingria they are usually pronounced as emmä, että, eväD.
    • Their counterparts were emmä, että, eivät ~ e(v)väD in Votian like dialects of Estonia e.g. eivat tule ('They don't come.') .

Morphophonology

• Present tense negation is always in a grade opposite to any suffixal imperative form except the singular of the second person caused by consonant gradation in stems e.g. elkō jättägō ('Let him not leave (it)!') vs. että jätä ('You do not leave (it)!') or page̮t-kā ('Escape!') vs. en pake̮n-e̮-(G) ('I do not escape.').

Phonological history

• The negation form of the third person of singular has underwent following sound changes *epä > *epi and was originally a present participle.
  • The negation form of the third person of plural was the same present participle in plural nominative with a marker t.

Other Finnic dialects

The first person of singular

• Standard Finnish : en e.g. en lue- ('I don't read!')
• Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : en e.g. en luve- ('I don't read!')
• Vepsian dialects : en e.g. en luge- ('I don't read!')
• Ingrian dialects : en e.g. en lue-G ('I don't read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei loe- ('I don't read!')
• South Estonian dialects : ei e.g. South Estonian Räpina dialects : ei loe-ʔ or loe ̮ei-ʔ ('I don't read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : äB e.g. äB lu ̉-G ('I don't read!')

The first person of plural

• Standard Finnish : emme e.g. emme lue- ('We don't read!')
• Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : emmä e.g. emmä luve- ('We don't read!')
• Vepsian dialects : emai e.g. emai luge-goi ('We don't read!')
• Ingrian dialects : emmä e.g. emmä lue-G ('We don't read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei loe- ('We don't read!')
• South Estonian dialects : ei e.g. South Estonian Räpina dialects : ei loe-ʔ or loe ̮ei-ʔ ('We don't read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : äB e.g. äB lu ̉ggə̑-m ('We don't read!')

The second person of singular

• Standard Finnish : et e.g. et lue- ('You don't read!')
• Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : et e.g. et luve- ('You don't read!')
• Central Vepsian dialects : ed e.g. ed luge- ('You don't read!')
• Ingrian dialects : eD e.g. eD lue-G ('You don't read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei loe- ('You don't read!')
• South Estonian dialects : ei e.g. South Estonian Räpina dialects : ei loe-ʔ or loe ̮ei-ʔ ('You don't read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : äD e.g. äD lu ̉-G ('You don't read!')

The second person of plural

• Standard Finnish : ette e.g. ette lue- ('You don't read!')
• Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : että e.g. että luve- ('You don't read!')
• Vepsian dialects : etai e.g. etai luge-goi ('You don't read!')
• Ingrian dialects : että e.g. että lue-G ('You don't read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei loe- ('You don't read!')
• South Estonian dialects : ei e.g. South Estonian Räpina dialects : ei loe-ʔ or loe ̮ei-ʔ ('You don't read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : ät̄ e.g. ät̄ lu ̉ggə̑-t̀ ('You don't read!')

The third person of singular

• Standard Finnish : ei e.g. ei lue- ('She doesn't read!')
• Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : ei e.g. ei luve- ('She doesn't read!')
• Vepsian dialects : ī e.g. ī luge- ('She doesn't read!')
• Ingrian dialects : ei e.g. ei lue-G ('She doesn't read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei loe- ('She doesn't read!')
• Old Estonian scriptures : ep e.g. ep loe- ('She doesn't read!') The same form was in use for any number and person.
• South Estonian dialects : ei e.g. South Estonian Räpina dialects : ei loe-ʔ or loe ̮ei-ʔ ('She doesn't read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : äB e.g. äB lu ̉-G ('She doesn't read!')

The third person of plural

• Standard Finnish : eivät e.g. eivät lue- ('They don't read!')
• Karelian dialects use indefinite voice instead e.g. Vesjegonski Karelian dialects : ei lugie-ta ('They don't read.').
• Central Vepsian dialects : ī e.g. ī luge-goi ('They don't read!')
• Ingrian dialects : eiväD e.g. eiväD lue-G ('They don't read!')
• Standard Estonian : ei e.g. ei loe- ('They don't read!')
• South Estonian dialects : ei e.g. South Estonian Räpina dialects : ei loe-ʔ or loe ̮ei-ʔ ('They don't read!')
• Eastern Livonian dialects : äB e.g. äB lu ̉ggə̑-t̀ ('They don't read!')

See also

• Grammar of Votian dialects (syllabus)
• Imperfect 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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