On polar questions, negation, and the syntactic encoding of epistemicity
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Sibilla Cantarini
Abstract
This paper focuses mainly on negative polar questions. Following on from the relevant literature, we distinguish between two types of negative polar questions – those with inner negation and those with outer negation – showing that each is associated with specific morphosyntactic and semantic properties. Previous studies have revealed that there is a strong correlation between negative polar questions and the notion of epistemicity, based on the hypothesis that a speech act epistemic operator occurs in the syntactic structure of both types of negative polar questions. In this paper, we argue that epistemicity is involved in the derivation of all polar questions, irrespective of their being positive or negative, reflecting the intuition that the speech act of request expresses the uncertainty of the speaker with respect to a certain propositional content. Accordingly, we propose a syntactic derivation of polar questions in which the role of the functional projection encoding epistemicity (EpistP) is central. Finally, we show that the morphosyntactic and semantic properties of negative polar questions stem from the interaction between the proposed structure and negation.
Abstract
This paper focuses mainly on negative polar questions. Following on from the relevant literature, we distinguish between two types of negative polar questions – those with inner negation and those with outer negation – showing that each is associated with specific morphosyntactic and semantic properties. Previous studies have revealed that there is a strong correlation between negative polar questions and the notion of epistemicity, based on the hypothesis that a speech act epistemic operator occurs in the syntactic structure of both types of negative polar questions. In this paper, we argue that epistemicity is involved in the derivation of all polar questions, irrespective of their being positive or negative, reflecting the intuition that the speech act of request expresses the uncertainty of the speaker with respect to a certain propositional content. Accordingly, we propose a syntactic derivation of polar questions in which the role of the functional projection encoding epistemicity (EpistP) is central. Finally, we show that the morphosyntactic and semantic properties of negative polar questions stem from the interaction between the proposed structure and negation.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Preface ix
- Introduction 1
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Certainty
- Certainty 29
- Modes of modality in an Un-Cartesian framework 47
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(Un)Certainty as attitudinality
- Counter-argumentation and modality 65
- Explanation as a certainty marker in persuasive dialogue 83
- How to deal with attitude strength in debating situations. A survey on forewarning, argument strength, repetition, and source credibility as mediators of uncertainty 97
- The role of subjective certainty in the epistemology of testimony 121
- Uncertainty in polar questions and certainty in answers? 135
- Lying as a scalar phenomenon 153
- Persuasion pragmatic strategies in L1/L2 Italian argument-ative speech 175
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Dialogical exchange and speech acts
- What do I know as yet? 185
- On polar questions, negation, and the syntactic encoding of epistemicity 199
- Epistemic uncertainty and the syntax of speech acts 217
- Discursive functions of evidentials and epistemic modals 239
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Onomasiology
- Vagueness, unspecificity, and approximation. Cognitive and lexical aspects in English, Swedish, and Italian 265
- Latin commitment-markers 285
- Italian come se “as if” 297
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Applications in exegesis and religious discourse
- The communication of certainty/uncertainty within a Gospel passage (John 9:1-41) 327
- Rhetorics of (un)certainty in religious discourse 343
- Subject index 363
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Preface ix
- Introduction 1
-
Certainty
- Certainty 29
- Modes of modality in an Un-Cartesian framework 47
-
(Un)Certainty as attitudinality
- Counter-argumentation and modality 65
- Explanation as a certainty marker in persuasive dialogue 83
- How to deal with attitude strength in debating situations. A survey on forewarning, argument strength, repetition, and source credibility as mediators of uncertainty 97
- The role of subjective certainty in the epistemology of testimony 121
- Uncertainty in polar questions and certainty in answers? 135
- Lying as a scalar phenomenon 153
- Persuasion pragmatic strategies in L1/L2 Italian argument-ative speech 175
-
Dialogical exchange and speech acts
- What do I know as yet? 185
- On polar questions, negation, and the syntactic encoding of epistemicity 199
- Epistemic uncertainty and the syntax of speech acts 217
- Discursive functions of evidentials and epistemic modals 239
-
Onomasiology
- Vagueness, unspecificity, and approximation. Cognitive and lexical aspects in English, Swedish, and Italian 265
- Latin commitment-markers 285
- Italian come se “as if” 297
-
Applications in exegesis and religious discourse
- The communication of certainty/uncertainty within a Gospel passage (John 9:1-41) 327
- Rhetorics of (un)certainty in religious discourse 343
- Subject index 363
