Negative Phrases in Samoan

negative sign samoan

Caption: If you put lē in front of any action or adjective, the action or adjective becomes negative.

Siva….lē siva…. Ou te le siva

Kea ….lē kea…. Ou te le kea

Fiafia…lē fiafia…E le fiafia le teine

Notice in front of the lē is a tense marker.  Tense marker, lē, then the action or adjectives.

Le also makes nouns negative, but to make it negative, the noun is stated in the complete subject phrase format.  The complete subject phrase format includes the O.  

Teine is translated as girl.  Le teine is the girl.  The complete subject phrase format is O le teine.  So to say it is not the girl, we need our tense marker, le, and the complete subject phrase O le teine.  E le o se teine. Often times you’ll see the le and ‘o written as le’o.  E le’o se teine.

In Samoan, transforming verbs and adjectives into negative forms is essential for expressing negation and conveying opposite meanings. This process involves adding specific particles or prefixes to the verb or adjective, altering their meaning to indicate a negated state. This essay explores the methods used to make verbs and adjectives negative in the Samoan language, highlighting the particles and prefixes involved and providing examples to illustrate their usage.

Making Verbs Negative:

  1. Using the Particle “E lē”: The particle “e lē” is commonly used to make verbs negative in Samoan. It is placed before the verb to indicate that the action is not taking place or did not occur.

Examples:

  • E lē mafai – Cannot (lit. not able)
  • E lē alu – Not going
  • E lē fa’aalia – Not showing
  1. Using the Prefix “Le”: Another method to make verbs negative is by adding the prefix “le-” before the verb stem. This prefix negates the action or state expressed by the verb.

Examples:

  • lē fa’amalie – Not sorry
  • lē fiafia – Not happy
  • lē alu – Not going

Nuances of Negation in Samoan:

  1. Emphasis with “E lē”: The use of “e le” often adds emphasis to the negation, highlighting the contrast between the negated action or state and what is expected or desired.
  2. Contextual Variations: Depending on the context and intended meaning, different particles or prefixes may be used to make verbs and adjectives negative. Speakers may choose the form that best suits the situation and conveys the desired nuance of negation.
  3. Double Negation: In Samoan, double negation is commonly used for emphasis or to strengthen the negation. This involves combining particles or prefixes to reinforce the negative meaning.
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