21.2431, Qs: Negation in Hawai'ian

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LINGUIST List: Vol-21-2431. Wed Jun 02 2010. ISSN: 1068 - 4875.

Subject: 21.2431, Qs: Negation in Hawai'ian

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1)
Date: 28-May-2010
From: Ljuba Veselinova < ljuba at ling.su.se >
Subject: Negation in Hawai'ian
 

	
-------------------------Message 1 ---------------------------------- 
Date: Wed, 02 Jun 2010 10:08:34
From: Ljuba Veselinova [ljuba at ling.su.se]
Subject: Negation in Hawai'ian

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I am working on negative existentials in Polynesian languages. Right 
now I'm trying to sort out the uses of the two main negation markers in 
Hawai'ian, the standard negation 'a'ole and the negative existential 
'a'ohe. I was told that they are completely interchangeable in all 
contexts. However, I wonder if this is entirely true. 
 
In the grammars I consulted (Elbert and Pukui, 1979, Hawkins, 1982, 
Judd, 1978, Kahananui and Anthony, 1975), I found examples where 
the perfective marker ua is replaced by the standard negator 'a'ole plus 
i when negated.

(1) Hawai'ian (Elbert and Pukui, 1979: 142)
Ua  hele  ke  kanaka
PFV go    DET man
'The man has (just now) gone.'

(2) Hawai'ian (Elbert and Pukui, 1979: 142)
'a'ole  i          hele  ke kanaka
NEG     PFV.NEG    go   DET man
'The man did not go.'

My first question is about (2) above - it is possible to use the negative 
existential 'a'ohe instead of the 'a'ole? If yes, does the use of 'a'ohe 
lead to any difference in meaning - stylistic or something else?

The negative existential 'a'ohe appears to be used in a negated verbal 
sentence when the perfectivity/completeness of the action has been 
indicated by the o-possessive constructions:

(3) Hawai'ian (Elbert and Pukui, 1979: 142)
'o      k?    l?ua   hele   akula     n?     ia
SUBJ    POSS  3.DU   go     DIR       indeed then
'The two then went.'

(4) Hawai'ian (Kahananui and Anthony, 1975: 372)
'a'ohe  o      lakou   hana
NEG.EX	POSS   3.PL    work
'They didn't work.'

It appears to be used with negated modal meaning as well:

(5) Hawai'ian (Kahananui and Anthony, 1975: 346)
'a'ohe   o'u         'ike/lohe   au   i?   ia
NEG.EX   1.SG.POSS    see/hear   I    OBJ  3SG
'I can't see/hear him/her.'

My questions about (4) and (5) above are as follows:
- Is it possible to use 'a'ole instead of 'a'ohe in any of these sentences?
- If yes, is there any kind of difference between the use of 'a'ole instead 
of 'a'ohe or is there any known preference for one over the other?

Any pointers to literature or language experts who can help me with 
information on this issue will be greatly appreciated. I will post a 
summary if there is any interest.

Many thanks in advance and my best wishes,
Ljuba


References:
Elbert, Samuel H., and Pukui, Mary Kawena. 1979. Hawaiian Grammar. 
Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. [Reprinted in 2001].

Hawkins, Emily A. 1982. Pedagogical Grammar of Hawaiian. Honolulu: 
Hawaiian Studies Program-University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Judd, Henry P. 1978. The Hawaiian Language and Hawaiian-English 
Dictionary. Honolulu: Hawaiian Service Inc.

Kahananui, Dorothy M., and Anthony, Alberta P. 1975. E Kama'ilio 
Hawai'i Kakou (Let's Speak Hawaiian). Honolulu: The University Press 
of Hawaii. [Reprinted in 1975]. 

Linguistic Field(s): Typology




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