A Grammar of Turkish Sign Language (TİD)

Irregular negation refers to suppletive forms where it is sometimes impossible and sometimes hard to identify the verbal stem. Compare the affirmative form and the negated form of want below. The articulation of want involves the thumb touching the chest and short downward repetitive movement.

 

 

 

want

 

 

want.not, on the other hand,is articulated with the Little-Finger-Handshape touching the chest and an upward hand twist on the vertical plane. 

 

 

 

 

 

want.not

 

 

Some of the phonological features of want such as its location and handshape are retained in want.not whereas the upward movement can be attributed to the phonological features of not. This is an example of partial suppletion.

 

A case of total suppletion is the negation of the sign there.ıs resulting in there.ıs_not. 

 

there_ıs

 

 

 

there_ıs_not

 

 

 

Another suppletive form is a negated modal particle should.not/can.not. (See [Lexicon – 3.3.3] for contexts where this particle may be used.).

 

 

 

 

 

possıble

 

 

should.not