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The simplest
kind of Tamil negative is formed by adding §×Á -lle to the infinitive
of the verb. This form means, in general, non-future and non-habitual, i.e.
beginning in the past and extending into the present.The LT form
ɧÙÁ illai when added to the infinitive requires a morphophonemic ¬
v but this is deleted in ST, under complicated conditions. The
resultant §×Á lle may in many cases be phonetically ungeminate, i.e.
ؽԴ§×Á poohalle is phonetically really [po '161
hal
]
but to avoid confusion with other morphology we hold to the doubled form.
- ؽԴ§×Á poohalle `didn't go, isn't going'
- ÂÀ§×Á varalle `didn't come, isn't coming'
In the case of the verb Éç iru `be located, stay, reside', the
negative is simply ɧ×Á ille. The form involving the infinitive, i.e.
irukkalle, is found only when Éç iru is suffixed to another verb, e.g.,
as an aspect marker (cf. 6.3).
- ¼Ô¨ Âÿ»Õç¡´§×Á naan vand-irukkalle `I didn't, haven't
come; it's not that I've come'
- Ǩ ¶Ô¤½Õ¥à¡´Õ¥Üç¡´§×Á avan saappittu-kitt-
irukkalle `he hasn't been eating; it's not that he's been eating'
Harold_F.Schiffman