Negation
The negative prefix
The Akan sentence is negated by prefixing a low-toned
nasal prefix mà-,
nà-to
the verb stem (cf. Optative
in Unit 6). While the nasal prefix has a low tone, the last syllable of
the verb stem has always a high tone. The negative nasal prefix is homorganic
with the initial consonant of the verb stem: the place of articulation
of the nasal assimilates to the (bilabial, post-dental or velar) place
of articulation of the following consonant (cf. Nasal
'n' in final position in Unit 1).
The form of the negative
The negative prefix is
| written |
pronounced |
before… (initial
consonant of the verb) |
| m- |
mà- |
m, p, b, f |
| n- |
nà- |
n, w, t, d, s, h,
y, ky, tw, gy, dw, hy, hw |
| n- |
ôà- |
k, g, h, w |
If the initial consonant of the verb is a voiced
plosive (i.e. b, d, g, dw, gy), it is assimilated to the nasal, i.e. it
is itself pronounced as the corresponding nasal consonant:
| sequence |
written |
pronounced |
example |
| m+b |
mm- |
mm- |
m+ba -> mma
[màmaá] |
| n+d |
nn- |
nn- |
n+d -> nni [nànä] |
| n+g |
ng- |
ôô- |
n+gu -> ngu
[ôàôuá] |
| n+gy |
nny- |
nny- |
n+gya -> nnya
[nànyaá] |
| n+dw |
ndw- |
nnw- |
n+dwo -> ndwo
[nànwoá] |
The use of the negative
The simple negative form serves to negate the present
habitual, the stative, the progressive, the future and the imperative.
The degree to which a statement is true will be expressed by different
adverbs in the affirmative (e.g. paàa
'very
much', yiáe
'well',
kakraá
'a
little') and in the negative koáraa
"(not)
at all".
For illustration: A list of verbs in the affirmative
and in the negative forms
| Affirmative |
Negative |
| baá |
to come |
màmaá |
not to come |
| boá |
to beat |
màmoá |
not to beat |
| daá |
to sleep |
nànaá |
not to sleep |
| daà
aàseá |
to give thanks |
nànaá
aàseá |
not to give thanks |
| deà |
to be called |
nàneá |
not to be called |
| diá |
to eat |
nàniá |
not to eat |
| dõá |
to love |
nànõá |
not to love |
| dwaàreá |
to bath, shower |
nàdwaàreá |
not to bath, shower |
| faá |
to take |
màfaá |
not to take |
| fìrì |
to come from |
màfiáriá |
not to come from |
| fràñá |
to call |
màfràñá |
not to call |
| goároá |
to play |
nàgoároá |
not to play |
| gyeá |
to receive |
nànyeá |
not to receive |
| guá |
to pour |
nàguá |
not to pour |
| hþé |
to see |
nàhuá |
not to see |
| hwñá |
to look at |
nàhwñá |
not to look |
| hyñá |
to put on |
nàhyñá |
not to put on |
| kaá |
to say, speak |
nàkaá |
not to say, speak |
| kõá |
to go |
nàkõá |
not to go |
| kyñá |
to give freely |
nàkyñá |
not to give freely |
| kyñáreá |
to stay long, delay |
nàkyñáreá |
not to stay long, delay |
| kyeàrñá |
to teach, show |
nàkyeàrñá |
not to teach, show |
| maá |
to give |
màmaá |
not to give |
| meàeá |
to be full, satisfied |
màmeàeá |
not to be full, satisfied |
| noàaá |
to cook |
nànoàaá |
not to cook |
| noámá |
to drink |
nànoámá |
not to drink |
| nyaá |
to get |
nànyaá |
not to get |
| pñà |
to like |
màpñá |
not to like |
| pràaá |
to sweep |
màpràaá |
not to sweep |
| saá |
to dance |
nàsaá |
not to dance |
| soà |
to be big, large |
nàsoá |
not to be big, large |
| suá |
to cry |
nàsuá |
not to cry |
| teá |
to pluck |
nàteá |
not to pluck |
| teà |
to live (at a place) |
nàteá |
not to live (at a place) |
| teà |
to hear |
nàteá |
not to hear |
| toá |
to throw |
nàtoá |
not to throw |
| twaá |
to cut |
nàtwaá |
not to cut |
| tweá |
to pull |
nàtweá |
not to pull |
| tweárñá |
to write |
nàtweárñá |
not to write |
| yñá |
to do |
nàyñá |
not to do |
| yñà |
to be |
nàyñá |
not to be |
| wõà |
1. to be; 2. to have |
nàniá |
1. not to be, 2. not to have |
Go on to Notes
on grammar 3 (List of tenses) |