Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/58324

This paper focuses on Kolyma Yukaghir negative constructions. In this language, the proclitic el= is used as the negative marker in most negative constructions. This negative proclitic usually appears directly before the verb, although it can also appear before the other constituents when the negation does not scope over the verb. A notable characteristic of Kolyma Yukaghir is paradigmatic asymmetry between affirmation and negation in declarative sentences, as discussed in Miestamo (2005) based on the grammatical description of Maslova (2003): the distinction between the intransitive and transitive agreement markers is lost in the negative, and only the intransitive markers are used. In this paper, I discuss the fact that the same paradigmatic asymmetry is observed when the verb is marked by the inferential suffix -l’el with the first person subject, which indicates a non-volitional action. I also discuss the fact that the negative takes priority over the inferential in the choice of agreement markers: when they co-occur, intransitive markers are always used.