§ 40. Negative Sentences.

—(a) The negative of a sentence with ko (§ 37). is always made with ehara..i, ko being dropped.

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Examples.

• Aff. Ko ia tenei, this is he.

• Neg. Ehara tenei i a ia, this is not he.

• Aff. Ko te whare tera, that is the house.

• Neg. Ehara tera i te whare, that is not the house.

(b) When the predicate in the corresponding affirmative sentence is a common noun, an adjective, or a verb in the infinitive, with the indefinite article he (§ 38, a, b, c), the negative is made with ehara. i, and te is substituted for he.

Examples.

• Aff. He whare pai tera, that is a good house.

• Neg. Ehara tera i te whare pai, that is not a good house.

• Aff. He pirau enei riwai, these potatoes are rotten.

• Neg. Ehara enei riwai i te pirau, these potatoes are not rotten.

• Aff. He tuakana ia noku, he is an elder brother of mine.

• Neg. Ehara ia i te tuakana noku, he is not an elder brother of mine.

When the predicate in the corresponding affirmative sentence is a noun, adjective, or verb, following a preposition (§ 38, d), the following constructions are used:—

(c) If the preposition in the affirmative sentence is na or no, the negative is made with ehari..i, and the preposition is dropped.

Examples.

• Aff. No Turi tera whare, that house belongs to Turi.

• Neg. Ehara i a Turi tera whare, that house does not belong to Turi.

(d) If the preposition is ma or mo signifying for, use ehara i te mea, retaining the preposition.

Examples.

• Aff. Mo Turi te whare, the house is for Turi.

• Neg. Ehara i te mea mo Turi te whare, the house is not for Turi.

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(e) If the preposition is hei signifying at, or in possession of (§ 15), use kauaka, retaining the preposition.

Examples.

• Aff. Hei te taha o te huarahi te taiepa, let the fence be at the side of the road.

• Neg. Kauaka hei te taha, etc., let not the fence be, etc.

(f) If the preposition is kei or i (§ 15), signifying at, or in possession of, use kahore for the negative, with the preposition i only, and never kei.

Examples.

• Kei hea te tahā? Kahore i konei. Where is the calabash? It is not here.

• Aff. Kei a Turi te taura, the rope is in Turi's possession.

• Neg. Kahore i a Turi te taura, the rope is not in Turi's possession.

• Aff. I a wai tera kainga? Whose was that place?

• Neg. Kahore i a Waitaha. It was not Waitaha's.