Negating a Completed Event
Affirmative sun contrasts with ba su … ba. Common contractions include ban and bai.
How It Works
Negative completive subject forms have short vowels and low tone, which ordinary Boko leaves unmarked. Affirmative mun and sun correspond to negative ba mu and ba su. Final ba closes the frame.
The same negative paradigm serves statements, constituent questions, and relative clauses; there is no separate plain/relative negative completive distinction. Object-conditioned morphology still applies. Before the noun object in the second example, gani takes the form ga.
Active verbs commonly receive an English past translation. With stative verbs, the negative can express a present state, as in denying knowledge. Compare reporting a non-event with asking who did not act: the question does not create a new negative paradigm.
Examples (3)
- Ba ta shiga ba.
She did not enter.
The subject is feminine singular.
- Ba mu ga motar ba.
We did not see the car.
Negative mu replaces affirmative mun; ga precedes the noun object.
- Wa bai zo ba?
Who did not come?
The constituent question uses the same negative paradigm.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Recognize the negative completed-event frame and an established-reference noun object before contrasting negative participants while preserving the known noun’s reference ending.
- ba … baA Basic Negative Frame
Recognize the negative completed-event frame and an established-reference noun object before contrasting negative participants while preserving the known noun’s reference ending.
Level 1 - Referring to a Known Noun
Recognize the negative completed-event frame and an established-reference noun object before contrasting negative participants while preserving the known noun’s reference ending.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- na / ta / sunCompleted Actions
Provides affirmative completion.
Level 1 - Completed Actions After Focus
Develops the affirmative plain/relative distinction.
Level 3 - Negating an Ongoing Action
Denies continuation or regular activity.
Level 3 - Completion Without Past Time
Separates completion from absolute time.
Level 5
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Negating a Completed Event in Bubblegum
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