Re: A question and introduction

On Saturday 15 June 2002 22:51, Andy Canivet wrote:
> Interesting - is there a different kind of concept of negativity depending
> on which construction one uses?
Yes - if you negate the subject, you negate the whole sentence:

1) Kalha nulha bonudawel zalkale?
   kalha        nul-ha  bonu-daw-le   zalka-le
   travel-to.Pt Ques-Pt man-that-NDSg forest-NDSg
   Was that man going to the forest?

   Kalha bonudawule    zalkale.
   kalha        bonu-daw-hule   zalka-le
   travel-to.Pt man-that-NegDSg forest-NDSg
   That man was not going to the forest.
   (No (that man) was going to the forest)

The man might be going somewhere else, or nowhere at all, but not to
the forest.

If you negate another part of the sentence, the rest of the sentence
is unaffected:

2) Kalha bonudawel nul?
   kalha        bonu-daw-le   nul
   travel-to.Pt man-that-NDSg which
   Where was that man going?

   Kalha bonudawel zalkahule.
   kalha        bonu-daw-le   zalka-hule
   travel-to.Pt man-that-NDSg forest-NegDSg
   That man was not going to the forest (but somewhere else).
   (That man was going to no (the forest).)

The man is not going to the forest, but is definitely going *somewhere*.

--------------
 Rune Haugseng
[R}n@ hV}gsEN]