ABSTRACT
Thus, it is used as a particle when responding in the negative to a question:
A-e8si c teãtra? – Nè.
The prefix ne-used with verbs or adjectives negates an action or a quality, and with nouns conveys the opposite sense. Thus:
rašýti – nerašýti gražùs – negražùs láimz – neláimz b;ti – neb;ti švarùs – nešvarùs tiesà – netiesà važiúoti – nevažiúoti laimìngas – nelaimìngas viltìs – neviltìs
The prefix ne-merges with certain verbs, and we have:
nesù ← ne + esù ne8ti ← ne + e8ti nzrà ← ne + yrà neinù ← ne + einù n7same ← ne + 7same ne8name ← ne + e8name nzja0 ← ne + zja0
Do remember that when a transitive verb is negative, the case of the direct object changes: instead of the accusative we have the genitive (see Unit 4):
mÓgstu teãtra – nemÓgstu teãtro
We have a similar situation when the negative verb neb;ti is used; the difference essentially is that here we have the genitive instead of the nominative (note that only the third-person form is used in the negative in this ‘expression of existence’):
Àš esù, bèt manqs nzrà. Jìs yrà, bèt jõ nzrà. M7s 7same, bèt m;se nzrà. =ià yrà telefònas, bèt 1ià nzrà telefòno. =ià yrà kompiùteris, bèt 1ià nzrà kompiùterio.
