metae¹ irrealis negation / won't / can't: be unable to / can't: be [...]

Part of Speech	particle
Phonetic Form	metae
Tanema Equivalent	taea, taeia
Lovono Equivalent	metaie
Morphology	me (?) + tae

1. • irrealis negation
   • • Gram

   Syntactic Restriction

   often combined with kape ‘irrealis, future’

2. • won't
   • • Gram

   • • Example 1355:
       

       Labiou metae.

       It won't take long.

3. • can't: be unable to

   • • Example 1513:
       

       Tepao 'naka i-makoe, kape ne-makui ñe metae.

       My fishing gun is broken, I can't use it for fishing.

     • Example 1623:
       

       Kape ne-vete susuko metae.

       I'd be unable to tell the exact story.

4. • can't: be unlikely to

   • • Example 1624:
       

       Kape u-tavie metae.

       You can't get sick.

5. • can't: not be allowed to

   • • Example 620:
       

       Leka, kape u-labu ebele ini metae.

       With your (opp.-sex) cross-cousin, you are not allowed any body contact.

     • Example 738:
       

       Uk' one tilu, kape ne-vete enga da metae.

       My in-laws, I can't say their names out loud.

6. • shouldn't

   Sense Comment

   rare

   • • Example 1625:
       

       Kap' i-wene metae.

       It shouldn't be there.

Related entries

• Heterosemes:
  • metae² to no avail; no way