Glossary of Linguistic Terms

Prohibitive Mood

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.’