The morphosyntax of negative markers : a nanosyntactic account / Karen De Clercq.

Author
De Clercq, Karen [Browse]
Format
Book
Language
English
Published/​Created
Berlin ; Boston : De Gruyter Mouton, [2020]
Description
1 online resource (x, 252 pages)

Availability

Available Online

Details

Subject(s)
Series
Summary note
This book applies the tools of nanosyntax to the natural language phenomenon of negation. Most work on negation is concerned with the study of sentence negation, while low scope negation or constituent negation is hardly ever systematically discussed in the literature. The present book aims to fill that gap, by investigating scopally different negative markers in a sample of 23 typologically diverse languages. A four-way classification of negative markers is argued for and it is shown how meaningful syncretism patterns arise across those four groups of negative markers in the language sample investigated. The syncretisms are meaningful in that they track the natural semantic scope of negation, and provide support to the idea that morphology is not arbitrary, but points to submorphemic structure. Consequently, this study leads to a decomposition of the negative morpheme into five privative features: Tense, Focus, Classification, Quantity and Negation proper. Finally, the book argues that sentence, constituent and lexical negation can all be treated in the same module of the grammar, i.e. syntax.
Reproduction note
Electronic reproduction. Berlin Available via World Wide Web.
Source of description
Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on August 28, 2020).
Language note
In English.
Contents
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Theoretical background: Nanosyntax
  • 3. Classification of negative markers
  • 4. The crosslinguistic morphosyntax of negative markers
  • 5. The internal syntax of a negative marker
  • 6. The external syntax of negative markers in English
  • 7. Diachronic change in French
  • 8. Other syntactic perspectives on negation
  • 9. Semantics
  • 10. Conclusion
ISBN
  • 9781501513756 ((electronic book))
  • 1501513753 ((electronic book))
  • 9781501513770 ((electronic book))
  • 150151377X ((electronic book))
OCLC
1158118266
Doi
  • 10.1515/9781501513756
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