Negative Phonemes in Manipuri

Consider the negative formation in the following sentences:

1a. Ahal asi lairik mayek chatte. /əhəl ǝəsi lairi:k məyek ʈʃəte/
1b. Mahak lairik adu lamai amatta kandana pai. /məhak lairi:k ədu ləmai ǝəmətə kandənə pai:/

2a. Nanggi naral keisu matloi. /nəŋgi nərəl kəisu mətloi/
2b. Nanggi naral keisu matpiroi. /nəŋgi nərəl kəisu mətpiroi/

3a. Waganu, nanggi pot keisu mangngoi. /wagənu, nəŋgi pot kəisu maŋloi/
3b. Mei sima mutthatsi, eisu mamloi. /məi siməǝ muθətsi, kəisu məmloi/

/t/ and /d/ in the first pair of sentences are the most basic forms of negative phonemes in Manipuri. /t/ is suffixed to verbs or adjectives ending with voiceless sounds--/p, t, k, k^h, s/ in simple tenses while /d/ is suffixed to verbs or adjectives ending with voiced sounds in the simple tenses. This phonological rule does not allow /t/ following voiced sounds and /d/ following voiceless sounds in negative forms.

You cannot say

4. *Ahal asi lairik mayek chatde. /əhəl əsi lairi:k məyek ʈʃətde/
5. *Mahak lairik adu lamai amatta kantana pai. /məhak lairi:k ǝədu ləmai ǝəmətəǝ kantənəǝ pai:/

It should be noted that the post-negation phonemes such as /e/ (as in 1a and 1b) and /oi/ (as in 2a, 2b, 3a and 3b) are not part of the negation—they are tense markers. Interestingly, the negative phoneme is also determined by the tense phoneme that follows it. For example, if a voiceless sound ending word is negated with a future tense marker, then the negative /t/ becomes a liquid /l/ as in 2a. Further examples include:

katloi /kətloi/
satloi /sǝtloi/ or /satloi/
wasakloi /wasəkloi/

To be continued.