perturbativi

Perturbativi are a class of verbal negations found in several Austronesian languages, particularly within the Malayo-Polynesian branch. The term derives from the Latin perturbare, meaning “to disturb,” because these negational forms are often described as “disturbing” or “altering” the ordinary verb semantics. Unlike the more common zero or negator prefixes that negate the entire clause, perturbatives typically negate only the action or the result of the verb, leaving other aspects of the predicate intact.

Morphologically, perturbative forms are usually marked by specific infixes, circumfixes, or clitics that are attached to the verb root. For example, in the Solomon Islands language Tagbanwa, the infix i- is added to a verb to express perturbative negation: m-„–‑k‑ “to eat” becomes m-i‑k “not to eat the normal way.” In Fijian, the spectrum of perturbative negation includes preceding particles such as rā and me, which are used to indicate that the action is incomplete or interrupted. The variation across languages includes both acrobalic processes, where the infix is inserted before the first consonant, and later forms where the marker may appear as a suffix.

Linguists study perturbatives to better understand negative discourse and the interaction between morphology and syntax in Austronesian language families. They also provide insight into how speakers conceptually separate the act of performing an action from its completion or success. Perturbatives have thus become an important topic for comparative studies of polarity, aspect, and negation across human languages.