What is prohibitive mood?

Definition
	Prohibitive mood is a directive mood that signals a prohibition. It is distinguished by
	the use of a negated imperative sentence that employs a negative marker distinct from that used in declarative sentences, or a verb form different from that of the imperative.

Example (Greenlandic Eskimo)

Here is an example of prohibitive mood, which is signaled by the negative infinitive:

una attornagu

this disturb_NEGATIVE_INFINITIVE_3SINGULAR

‘Do not disturb this.’

Source:

Sadock and Zwicky 1985 176

Concept module: prohibitive mood
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): P
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004