Abilitive ‘be able to’ Modal verb ‘attempt to’

16 .37 ŋa jampu-la phin mat-noŋ. 1SG Kathmandu-DAT go.come[PST] NEG-get.opportunity[PST] ‘I haven’t had a chance to go to Kathmandu.’ Or: ‘I did not have a chance to go to Kathmandu.’ This example provides further evidence that it is the modal verb which is the main verb of the whole contruction. It is the modal which is negated and the structure of the negated modal verb has typically negated first person past marking negated past root. 16.38 u-ki tam u- ko ŋik-ki ha khoo that-GEN message that-head 1PL.EXCL-ERG aud.impact hear;understand[PST] mat- noŋ. NEG-get.opportunity[PST] ‘We did not have a chance to hear that story.’ The whole construction of this modality typically looks as follows: +V[PST] NEG- ’nong[PST] -finite suffixation AUX

16.2 Modal attitude verbs

16.2.1 Abilitive ‘be able to’

Semantically the verb ‘be able to’ is a modal attitude verb see Givón 2001:151. I call it abilitive. Lhomi has also abilitive ‘know how’, which is different see 16.2.3. There are two abilitive verbs which may be glossed ‘be able to’, tshuu and thuu. There seems to be no lexical difference in using them, though there are dialect and idiolect variations. • This modal verb tshuu or thuu combines only with agentive verbs of the complement clause. • The subject of the main clause is always ergative marked. • The verb of the complement clause is NPST root. • The abilitive verb may be negated. • The main clause is T1 type. The section in square brackets is the complement clause in examples 16.39–42. 16.39 pap-e [ mø møt ] tshuu-ken bet. father-ERG ploughing plough[NPST] be.able-NMLZ;CONJ AUX ‘Father is able to plough physically.’ Ploughing is very hard work and unless a person is in top shape he is not able to do it. The complement clause mø møt is the object argument of the main clause. 16.40 phits-e [tepal-ki thok-la nuku ɕok] tshuu-ken bet. child-ERG table-GEN top-DAT pen put[NPST] be.able-NMLZ;CONJ AUX ‘The child is able to put the pen on top of the table.’ Child is able, he is old enough. 16.41 api-k i [ loŋ ] tshuu-soŋ. aunt-ERG get.up[NPST] be.able-PST.VIS ‘Aunt was able to get up physically.’ 16 .42 ŋ-e [ loŋ ] mit-tshuu-pet. 1SG-ERG get.up[NPST] NEG-be.able-INCH ‘I am not yet able to get up.’

16.2.2 Modal verb ‘attempt to’

Subject makes an attempt which commonly fails. The verb of the main clause is t ɕhit which has all finite verb endings. • This modality verb combines with the T1 type complement clause which has abilitive verb tshuu which is nominalized with the object nominalizer -pa, NMLZ;Q. • The subject of the main clause is always ergative marked. • The modality verb may be negated and used in imperative. • The main clause is T1 type and the complement clause without the subject is the object. The following examples illustrate this modal attitude verb complement clause is in square brackets. 16.43 phits-e [ tepal-ki thok-la nuku ɕok tshuu-pa ] tɕhi-soŋ. child-ERG table-GEN top-DAT pen put.leave be.able-NMLZ;Q do;VBZR-PST.VIS ‘The child tried to put the pen on top of the table.’ Though he attempted he was not able to. 16 .44 ŋ-e [ loŋ tshuu-pa ] tɕhi-pen. 1SG-ERG get.up[NPST] be.able-NMLZ;Q do;VBZR-1PST ‘I tried to get up.’ Or: ‘I made an attempt to get up.’ 16.45 api- ki [ loŋ tshuu-pa ] t ɕhi-pa bet. aunt-ERG get.up[NPST] be.able-NMLZ;Q do;VBZR-NMLZ;Q AUX ‘Aunt tried to get up physically.’ This implies that the person is too weak to get up and stand.

16.2.3 Abilitive ‘know how’