Hindi-Urdu speakers use the infinitive in -v:al:a together with a negative or an interrogative pronoun to express strong disapproval, disbelief, defiance, or denial:
(1) y:h em:l:v:al:aðø
Aaòr eks:an:aðø kñ b:ic: ka m:ØAam:l:a hò.
s:rkar Es:m:ðø dQ:l: dðn:ðv:al:i kaòn: ?
'This matter is between the
mill-owners and the farmers. Who is the government to interfere?'
(from )ðm:c:nd's g:aðdan:, Chapter Twenty-two. See context.)
(2) G:r t:Ømhara, m:ael:k t:Øm:, m:òø B:l:a kaòn: haðt:i
hÜú, t:Ømhðø
G:r s:ð en:kal:n:ðv:al:i ?
'The house belongs to you. You're the
lord and master. Who am I to throw you out of your house?!'
(from g:aðdan:, Chapter Four. See context.)
(3) j:b: B:òy:a n:ð p:ndÒh
,p:y:ð m:ðö s:aòda kr el:y:a, t:að y:h b:ic: m:ðö kÜdn:ðv:al:i
kaòn: !
'When Brother has made the deal for 15
rupees, who is she to jump into the middle?'
(from g:aðdan:, Chapter Four. See context.)
(4) v:h m:ØJ:s:ð m:z:aq krt:i
hò, edK:at:i hò ek m:ØJ:ð t:ðri
p:rv:ah n:hiø hò;
l:ðekn: m:òø ehmm:t: harn:ðv:al:a m:n:Ø\y:
n:hiø hÜú.
'She makes fun of me, shows that she
doesn't care one bit about me. But I am not a man to lose heart.'
g:aðdan:, Chapter Seven. See context.
To express denial, disbelief, etc. a j:að-clause with the infinitive can almost always be used instead of V- n:ð v:al:a. Compare (5b) with (6):
(5a) kÙm:ar ki Vy:a ray: hò,
v:ð j:ay:ðøg:ð y:a
n:hiø ?
'What does the prince have to say
about this? Will he go or not?'
(from c:ndÒkant:a, Chapter Four.)
(5b) Aap: Q:Ød j:an:t:ð
hòø ek kØm:ar kal: s:ð B:i Rrn:ðv:al:ð
n:hiø, v:h j:al:im: Q:aú
Vy:a c:iz: hò !
'You yourself know that the prince
is not one to fear Death Itself. What is Zalim Khan in comparison?'
(from c:ndÒkant:a, Chapter Four.)
(from g:aðdan:, Chapter Six. See context.)
Indeed, at times such clauses must be used:
(7) ePr eks:ki ehmm:t: hò, j:að us: p:r hús:ð
'Then who would have the nerve to
laugh at her ... ?'
(from g:aðdan:, Chapter Twenty-six. See context.)
(8a) kÙm:ar : t:Ømharð m:ael:k ka Vy:a n:am: hò ?
'The prince: "What is the name of your
master?"'
(8b) Ok : Oðs:i eks:ki m:j:al: hò j:að hm:arð
m:ael:k ka n:am: l:ð !
'One (of the women): "Who would dare
to utter the name of our master?"'
(from c:ndÒkant:a, Chapter Four.)
See more notes on m:j:al: with infinitives or j:að-clauses.
Note from kÙs:Øm: j:òn:: The person, number, and gender of the subject in the main clause may carry over into a j:að-clause like that in (5b) just in case there is no intervening predicate noun:
(9a) m:òø Oðs:i n:hiø
hÜú j:að t:Ømhðø D:aðK:a /
dð / / dÜú.
'I am not the sort to deceive you.'
If a predicate noun such as Aaòrt: (9b) or kaòn: (9c) intervenes, such carry-over is blocked:
(9b) m:òø Oðs:i Aaòrt:
n:hiø hÜú j:að t:Ømhðø D:aðK:a
dð.
'I am not the sort of woman to deceive
you.'
(9c) m:òø Oðs:i kaòn:
hÜú j:að t:Ømhðø D:aðK:a
dð.
'Who am I to deceive you?'
More on j:að-clauses with the subjunctive.
Exercise on V- n:ðv:al:a with interrogatives or negatives.
Other sections dealing with negation:
1. m:j:al:
hò ! Warning and
warding off.
2. m:ar
K:aO eb:n:a n:hiø m:an:t:a H Without V-ing.
3. rha
n:hiø j:at:a H Passive of incapacity
4. b:n:aO
n: b:n:ð H Paired
verbs and incapacity.
5. j:an:ð ka n:am: n:hiø l:ðt:a
H Empahtic
negation.
Back to index of grammatical notes.
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Drafted 3-5 Jan 2001. Posted on 5-8 Jan 2001. Augmented 14 Jan 2001. IE-enabled 15 June 2002. Cross-referenced 22 Aug 2004.