Serial Negation With kò

How Far Negation Reaches

Level 5

Subject + kò + first verb + object and remaining serial material.

How It Works

Place kò before the first verb of a licensed serial predicate. Use one negative marker within this serial frame. In mú … wá, the verbs combine to express bringing an object toward a reference point. They take no person or number endings, and their participants retain their roles.

Compare Bísí mú bàtà náà wá ilé, “Bísí brought the shoes home,” with its negative counterpart below. Ariyo’s study permits scope over both component actions or only the first, depending on pragmatics. Consequently, the negative sentence does not settle independently whether coming home happened. Negation must include the first verb; inserting another negative before the second verb does not preserve this serial construction.

A separate clause can explicitly assert a component action. The third example first asserts carrying, then denies bringing the object here. Identify clause boundaries and shared participants before interpreting scope.

Examples (3)

  1. Bísí kò mú bàtà náà wá ilé.

    Bísí did not bring the shoes home.

    One kò precedes the first verb; context determines whether coming home also falls within its scope.

  2. Wọ́n kò mú ìwé náà wá ilé.

    They did not bring the book home.

    The plural subject does not change the negative marker or introduce verb endings.

  3. Títí gbé ìwé náà, ṣùgbọ́n kò gbé e wá.

    Títí carried the book, but did not bring it here.

    Separate clauses explicitly assert carrying and deny the directional bringing event.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Serial Negation With kòLevel 5How Far Negation Reaches

Learn This First

Put kò before the first verb of a licensed serial predicate.