The syntax of negative coordination in Jordanian Arabic
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Ahmad Al-Qassas
Abstract
Coordination constructions can either conjoin or disjoin phrases or clauses. Languages vary in the strategies employed to establish these logical relationships, creating distributional contrasts and co-occurrence restrictions on the coordination particles. This paper describes negative coordination and puts forward an analysis for this unexplored topic in Arabic. The paper argues that laa-wala coordination is a disjunction construction distinct from the construction involving two negative phrases/clauses coordinated by wa-. The analysis projects a Disjunction Phrase (DisjP) headed by wala and two DPs/CPs, CP1 for the first disjunct occupying the Spec,DisjP and CP2 for the second disjunct as a complement of DisjP. The analysis shows that wala is a disjunction operator with an uninterpretable negation feature (i.e., an NCI) licensed by a negative operator. With a postverbal DisjP, the negative operator is maa; elsewhere it is a covert negative operator that dominates DisjP. With coordinated DPs, the analysis shows that singular agreement on the verb involves clausal coordination and VP ellipsis in one disjunct.
Abstract
Coordination constructions can either conjoin or disjoin phrases or clauses. Languages vary in the strategies employed to establish these logical relationships, creating distributional contrasts and co-occurrence restrictions on the coordination particles. This paper describes negative coordination and puts forward an analysis for this unexplored topic in Arabic. The paper argues that laa-wala coordination is a disjunction construction distinct from the construction involving two negative phrases/clauses coordinated by wa-. The analysis projects a Disjunction Phrase (DisjP) headed by wala and two DPs/CPs, CP1 for the first disjunct occupying the Spec,DisjP and CP2 for the second disjunct as a complement of DisjP. The analysis shows that wala is a disjunction operator with an uninterpretable negation feature (i.e., an NCI) licensed by a negative operator. With a postverbal DisjP, the negative operator is maa; elsewhere it is a covert negative operator that dominates DisjP. With coordinated DPs, the analysis shows that singular agreement on the verb involves clausal coordination and VP ellipsis in one disjunct.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Phonetics and phonology
- How to delete 7
- Are there transfer effects in the Arabic comparative? 33
- Gemination in Rural Jordanian Arabic 53
-
Part II. Syntax
- On complex adjectival phrases in Standard Arabic 79
- The syntax of negative coordination in Jordanian Arabic 93
- Huwwa 113
- Syntactic parallels between verbal and nominal φ-morphology in Classical Arabic 133
-
Part III. Experimental and computational linguistics
- Resumption ameliorates different islands differentially 159
- A probabilistic approach to stress assignment in Arabic 195
- Subject index 219
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Phonetics and phonology
- How to delete 7
- Are there transfer effects in the Arabic comparative? 33
- Gemination in Rural Jordanian Arabic 53
-
Part II. Syntax
- On complex adjectival phrases in Standard Arabic 79
- The syntax of negative coordination in Jordanian Arabic 93
- Huwwa 113
- Syntactic parallels between verbal and nominal φ-morphology in Classical Arabic 133
-
Part III. Experimental and computational linguistics
- Resumption ameliorates different islands differentially 159
- A probabilistic approach to stress assignment in Arabic 195
- Subject index 219
