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Volume 45, Issue 3
  • ISSN 0378-4177
  • E-ISSN: 1569-9978
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Abstract

Abstract

The paper sketches the state of affairs of our understanding of postverbal negation. It departs from the typological finding that there is a cross-linguistic preference for a negator to precede the verb. Nevertheless, a sizable proportion of the world’s languages adhere to a pattern with a negator following the verb, and such negators are typically morphologically bound. The existence of this pattern, unfavorable from a functional perspective, calls for a diachronic explanation. The paper takes stock of diachronic processes that can lead to postverbal negation, in general, and suffixal negation, in particular. Furthermore, a language may acquire a pattern with postverbal negation through language contact, and this is yet another perspective that the paper addresses. Finally, we introduce the contributions to this volume, highlighting the new insights.

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2021-11-05
2025-01-13

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  • Article Type: Introduction
Keyword(s): diachrony; existential negation; Givón Cycle; Jespersen Cycle; language contact; Negative Existential Cycle; negative verb; postverbal negation; prohibitive negation; standard negation; typology

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