John Benjamins Publishing Company
Lexical sensitivity in negative polarity verbs
Abstract
Four classes of negative polarity verbs in German (besides NPI-modals) are distinguished by their semantic and syntactic properties: abstentives, attractives, privatives and ±care-verbs. Relevant factors identified are factivity and counterfactivity, generalized implicature as a lexical process, and litotes. Abstentives and attractives are semantic mirror-images of one another, and share with ±care-verbs the import of a conveyed affective attitude. An attempt is made at elucidating the semantic mechanism by which it is the modal of possibility that comes to cluster together with verbal NPI-phrases.
Abstract
Four classes of negative polarity verbs in German (besides NPI-modals) are distinguished by their semantic and syntactic properties: abstentives, attractives, privatives and ±care-verbs. Relevant factors identified are factivity and counterfactivity, generalized implicature as a lexical process, and litotes. Abstentives and attractives are semantic mirror-images of one another, and share with ±care-verbs the import of a conveyed affective attitude. An attempt is made at elucidating the semantic mechanism by which it is the modal of possibility that comes to cluster together with verbal NPI-phrases.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
- Negative quantifier noun phrases 1
- On the typology of negative modals 23
- Metalinguistic sentence negation in child English 49
- Lexical sensitivity in negative polarity verbs 79
- Varieties of polarity items and the (non)veridicality hypothesis 99
- Scalarity and polarity 129
- Flaubert triggers, squatitive negation, and other quirks of grammar 173
- On the monotonicity of polar adjectives 201
- Polarity sensitivity and collocational restrictions of adverbs of degree 223
- Even -incorporated NPIs in Hindi definites and correlatives 237
- Perfective sentences under negation and durative adverbials 265
- Negative polarity and the syntax of taboo 283
- Neg-Raising 331
- Name index 357
- Subject index 363
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction vii
- Negative quantifier noun phrases 1
- On the typology of negative modals 23
- Metalinguistic sentence negation in child English 49
- Lexical sensitivity in negative polarity verbs 79
- Varieties of polarity items and the (non)veridicality hypothesis 99
- Scalarity and polarity 129
- Flaubert triggers, squatitive negation, and other quirks of grammar 173
- On the monotonicity of polar adjectives 201
- Polarity sensitivity and collocational restrictions of adverbs of degree 223
- Even -incorporated NPIs in Hindi definites and correlatives 237
- Perfective sentences under negation and durative adverbials 265
- Negative polarity and the syntax of taboo 283
- Neg-Raising 331
- Name index 357
- Subject index 363
