This same construction occurs in Amharic ስ- + NEG Imperfect አይቀርም literallylit. ‘it will not remain without Verb’. It needs to be researched whether Amharic inherited this construction or whether the Gǝʿǝz construction is a calque from Amharic. Note that in the above example the construction occurs in direct speech.
ሕቅ፡ ḥǝqq «tant soit peufr, un peufr» ― ጥቂት፡ Ms. BNFabb217, fol. 23v.
ሕቀ፡ ḥǝqqa «peufr adverbe (paulola)» ― ጥቂት፡ Ms. BNFabb217, fol. 23v.
በሕቁ፡ baḥǝqqu , በበሕቁ፡ babbaḥǝqqu «fréquemmentfr, vite vitefr (paulatimla)» ― በጥቂት፡ በጥቂት፡ Ms. BNFabb217, fol. 23v.
49
ḥqq ሕቅ ḥǝqq littleen, a littleen, moderateen, somewhaten, mediocreen
ሕቀ ḥǝqqa a littleen, a little whileen, for a short timeen, a little wayen, by degreesen
በበሕቅ babbaḥǝq little by littleen, graduallyen, by degreesen
እምድኅረ፡ ሕቀ ʾǝmdǝḫra ḥǝqqa soon afteren
በሕቁ baḥǝqqu sufficientlyen, enoughen, veryen, very muchen, greatlyen, considerablyen, thoroughlyen, completelyen, exceedinglyen, utterlyen, intentlyen, accuratelyen, entirelyen, (Lt) in a little timeen; (with a negative) not at allen 240a