28.2.2009

Negative correlation

Finno-Ugric languages seem to have a very interesting tendency to erode the phrase "is not" into one word.

Examples:
  • Estonian pole (< *eipä ole)
  • Hungarian nincs
    • and, I believe, further sincs (< is nincs) 'also is not'
  • Karelian eu ~ eule (< ei ole)
  • Komi abu
  • Skolt Sámi i´lla ~ i´lleäkku ~ i´llää ~ i´llä (< ij leäk)
  • Udmurt övöl

Most of these examples are direct historically related equivalents of each other. Negation in Uralic languages is expressed with a negative verb conjugated for person (sometimes also tense) + the head verb in a "connegative" form. There seems to be a tendency to erode this, perhaps quite heavy, construction in the very common case "is not".

Running into such similarities is a big part of my fascination with Fenno-Ugric languages. The fundamental basics of grammar and things going on "beneath the surface" are very much the same across the board.

Ei kommentteja: