Negative concord in Medieval Greek: lexical asymmetry and the role of correlative negation
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Nikos Liosis
Abstract
Although the evolution of negated indefinite constructions in the history of the Greek language has been extensively studied, the data from Medieval Greek remain largely untapped. During this period, there is extensive variation in the mechanisms expressing the negative meaning of the clause that leads to optional distributional and lexical asymmetries, the origin of which can be traced back to much earlier stages of the language. This chapter particularly focuses on the role of οὐδέ oudé / uðé ‘neither, not even’ as correlative negation and as a scalar adverb or prefix that leads to the continuous renewal of available negative concord items, parallel to the competing morpheme καν- kan- ‘even’, thereby complicating the characterization of Medieval Greek as a strict negative concord language.
Abstract
Although the evolution of negated indefinite constructions in the history of the Greek language has been extensively studied, the data from Medieval Greek remain largely untapped. During this period, there is extensive variation in the mechanisms expressing the negative meaning of the clause that leads to optional distributional and lexical asymmetries, the origin of which can be traced back to much earlier stages of the language. This chapter particularly focuses on the role of οὐδέ oudé / uðé ‘neither, not even’ as correlative negation and as a scalar adverb or prefix that leads to the continuous renewal of available negative concord items, parallel to the competing morpheme καν- kan- ‘even’, thereby complicating the characterization of Medieval Greek as a strict negative concord language.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
Section 1: General theoretical issues
- Negative concord: the first 133 years 9
- Negindefinites and negative concord: concepts, terms and analyses 53
- Negative concord and TAM: a new perspective 77
- Non-strict negative concord: a correlate of focus movement? 107
- The universal force of (strict) negative concord 123
- N-words: in defence of wide scope. A view from Romanian 149
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Section 2: Perspectives on variation
- Negative concord in Medieval Greek: lexical asymmetry and the role of correlative negation 175
- What does the linear position of negative concord items tell us about their properties? 207
- Grammar or error? Non-compositional (expletive/paratactic) negation in Dutch sentences with zonder ‘without’ 239
- Two negatives in Tyneside English questions: negative concord or double negation? 269
- Less formal and more rebellious — An experiment on the social meaning of negative concord in American English 303
- Subject index 333
- Language index 337
- Name index 341
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
Section 1: General theoretical issues
- Negative concord: the first 133 years 9
- Negindefinites and negative concord: concepts, terms and analyses 53
- Negative concord and TAM: a new perspective 77
- Non-strict negative concord: a correlate of focus movement? 107
- The universal force of (strict) negative concord 123
- N-words: in defence of wide scope. A view from Romanian 149
-
Section 2: Perspectives on variation
- Negative concord in Medieval Greek: lexical asymmetry and the role of correlative negation 175
- What does the linear position of negative concord items tell us about their properties? 207
- Grammar or error? Non-compositional (expletive/paratactic) negation in Dutch sentences with zonder ‘without’ 239
- Two negatives in Tyneside English questions: negative concord or double negation? 269
- Less formal and more rebellious — An experiment on the social meaning of negative concord in American English 303
- Subject index 333
- Language index 337
- Name index 341
