Negation is a necessary but
potentially dangerous part of human language. The danger
lies in the risk negation poses to face. Contradicting
what someone has either said or believes (or seems to believe)
may have undesirable consequences for the speaker. Thus,
it is not surprising that Hindi-Urdu like other languages has
developed a wide range of options for handling negation.
These can be divided into two kinds: 1. Direct,
forceful expression of negation. 2. Indirect expression
of it. The first kind attempts to secure agreement by
aggressive assertion; the second, by leading hearers to draw
their own (negative) conclusions. Humor sometimes plays a
part, too.
I. Direct negation:
A. Elaborated with n:am: :
1. ... qz:ü v:h
m:ðhm:an: hò j:að Ok b:ar Aakr j:an:ð ka
n:am: n:hiø l:ðt:a.
(from Chapter Eight of g:aðdan:. See context.)
2. ... m:al:t:i
c:Øm:kart:i T:i, T:p:kt:i
T:i, t:s:v:irðø
edK:at:i T:i, g:aðd
m:ðø l:ðkr Xhl:t:i T:i, p:r b:cc:a c:Øp: haðn:ð ka n:am:
n:hiø l:ðt:a T:a.
(from Chapter Thirty-three of
g:aðdan:. See context.)
Use of V-n:ð kað t:òy:ar
n: hað- provides near equivalents:
1'. ... j:að Ok b:ar Aakr
j:an:ð kað t:òy:ar n:hiø haðt:a.
V-n:ð ka n:am: n:hiø
l:ð- is most commonly used with third person
subjects.
B. Elaborated with kam: :
3. m:Øúh
AúD:ðrð c:l:i j:an:a Aaòr us:ð
b:Øl:a l:an:a; m:g:r
n:hiø, b:Øl:an:ð
ka kam: n:hiø.
(from Chapter Twenty-four of
g:aðdan:. See context.)
4. l:al:-l:al: AaúK:ðø en:kal:kr
b:aðl:a, " t:Øm:
m:ðrð G:r m:ðø m:t: Aay:a krað,
c:Øha, t:Ømharð Aan:ð ka kÙC kam:
n:hiø.
(from Chapter Twenty-seven of
g:aðdan:. See context.)
V-n:ð ki kaðI v:j:h
n:hiø gives a similar sense:
3'. ... ( us:ð )
b:Øl:an:ð ki kaðI v:j:h
n:hiø hò.
V-n:ð ka kam: n:hiø
is most commonly used with second person subjects.
C. "Southwestern" negation. (
in ka ):
5. t:Øm:
l:aðg:aðø ki Es:m:ðø B:i z:-r
kaðI S:rart: hò. t:Øm: g:øg:a
m:ðø RÜb:kr B:i Ap:n:i s:faI dað;
t:að m:an:n:ð ka
n:hiø.
(from Chapter Sixteen of g:aðdan:. See context.)
II. Indirect negation:
5. m:òø
m:ri T:að_ð hi j:at:i T:i !
(from Chapter Thirty-one of
g:aðdan:. See context.)
(to be continued)
Other sections dealing with negation:
1. V-n:ðv:al:a to express disapproval, disbelief, defiance or
denial.
To index of m:lhar.
Keyed in and posted 22 - 24 Aug 2004.
'Debt is the guest who once he comes
he never leaves!'
'Malati made kissing sounds, patted
him, showed him pictures, walked back and forth with him in her
arms, but the boy wouldn't stop crying.'
2'. ... b:cc:a c:Øp:
haðn:ð kað t:òy:ar n:hiø haðt:a
T:a.
'First thing in the morning you go
to Sonari and tell him to come. But no, on second thought
there's no reason to call him here.'
'Glaring (at her) with red eyes he
said, "Don't come to my house, Chuha! There's no
reason for you to come here."'
4'. ... t:Ømharð
Aan:ð ki kaðI v:j:h n:hiø hò.
'You guys are up to something in
this thing, too. Even if you bathe in the Ganges, I'm not
gonna believe you.'
6. m:ØJ:ð un:ka Vy:a Rr T:a ?
7. ej:s:kñ daút:
n:hiø dØK:ð, v:h
daút:aðø ka ddü Vy:a j:an:ð ?
'What does he whose teeth never
ached know of the pain of a tooth-ache?' (He doesn't know
anything.)
2. m:j:al:
hò ! Warning and
warding off.
3. m:ar
K:aO eb:n:a n:hiø m:an:t:a H Without V-ing.
4. rha
n:hiø j:at:a H Passive of incapacity
5. b:n:aO
n: b:n:ð H Paired verbs
and incapacity.
To index of grammatical notes.