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A lexicalist account of negation and negative concord in Mauritian

Abstract

This paper provides a descriptive and theoretical account of negation and negative concord in Mauritian within a constraint-based framework. It is argued that sentential negation is canonically preverbal but appears postverbally with neg-raising verbs, and that only the former participates in negative concord. Mauritian is moreover identified as a strict concord language notwithstanding the particular behavior of the NCI zame, which can appear without pa in preverbal positions. The idiosyncrasies of both NCIs and sentential negation in Mauritian are formalized by exploiting a lexicalist account within the SBCG framework.

Abstract

This paper provides a descriptive and theoretical account of negation and negative concord in Mauritian within a constraint-based framework. It is argued that sentential negation is canonically preverbal but appears postverbally with neg-raising verbs, and that only the former participates in negative concord. Mauritian is moreover identified as a strict concord language notwithstanding the particular behavior of the NCI zame, which can appear without pa in preverbal positions. The idiosyncrasies of both NCIs and sentential negation in Mauritian are formalized by exploiting a lexicalist account within the SBCG framework.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Abbreviations and symbols ix
  5. Negation and negative concord 1
  6. Part 1. French related Creoles
  7. Sentential negation and negative words in Guadeloupean Creole 11
  8. What is negative in Haitian Creole? Negative Concord Items, sentential, constituent and expletive negation 33
  9. A lexicalist account of negation and negative concord in Mauritian 69
  10. Part 2. English related Creoles
  11. Negation in Pichi (Equatorial Guinea) 103
  12. Licensing negation and negative concord in Atlantic Creoles 125
  13. Negation in Singapore English 153
  14. Part 3. Portuguese related Creoles
  15. Negation in Cape Verdean Creole 173
  16. Elements of denial in Capeverdean 191
  17. Negation in Korlai Indo-Portuguese 211
  18. Negation and negative concord in Guinea-Bissau Kriyol (in comparison with Portuguese, substrate-adstrate languages and other Portuguese Creoles) 225
  19. Part 4. Other lexifier
  20. Negation in Palenquero 257
  21. Cross-linguistic negation contrasts in co-convergent contact languages 289
  22. Conclusions 313
  23. Index 325
Negation and Negative Concord
This chapter is in the book Negation and Negative Concord
https://doi.org/10.1075/coll.55.04hen

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Abbreviations and symbols ix
  5. Negation and negative concord 1
  6. Part 1. French related Creoles
  7. Sentential negation and negative words in Guadeloupean Creole 11
  8. What is negative in Haitian Creole? Negative Concord Items, sentential, constituent and expletive negation 33
  9. A lexicalist account of negation and negative concord in Mauritian 69
  10. Part 2. English related Creoles
  11. Negation in Pichi (Equatorial Guinea) 103
  12. Licensing negation and negative concord in Atlantic Creoles 125
  13. Negation in Singapore English 153
  14. Part 3. Portuguese related Creoles
  15. Negation in Cape Verdean Creole 173
  16. Elements of denial in Capeverdean 191
  17. Negation in Korlai Indo-Portuguese 211
  18. Negation and negative concord in Guinea-Bissau Kriyol (in comparison with Portuguese, substrate-adstrate languages and other Portuguese Creoles) 225
  19. Part 4. Other lexifier
  20. Negation in Palenquero 257
  21. Cross-linguistic negation contrasts in co-convergent contact languages 289
  22. Conclusions 313
  23. Index 325
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