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.
Examples
(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.’
Sources 4
- Sadock and Zwicky 1985, 175–176
- Pei and Gaynor 1954, 176, 228
- Bybee 1985, 173
- Hartmann and Stork 1972, 185