Knowledge base · Part XVI — Negation · this topic as a network
129. Negative-Polarity Indefinites and the Scope of Negation How does the language form negative-polarity indefinites, and what determines the scope of negation?
5 sentences from 13 sources · every sentence names the pages it rests on English 日本語
The interrogative-based indefinite series How does the language form indefinite pronouns from interrogatives, and how does negation affect their interpretation?
'Nothing exists' and 'nobody exists' are expressed by neera'ampe ka 'isam and nee 'aynu ka 'isam, respectively. (Murasaki 2025: 17 )
nen ka ek
who even come
‘Someone is coming.’
· constructed
The licensing predicates Which predicates license the negative-polarity indefinite series?
nep a=nukar ka somo ki korka
what 4.A=see even NEG do although
‘Although I did not see anything,’
tanpe akkari nep ka somo e=kon rusuy
this.one beyond what even NEG 2SG.A=have want
‘Do you not want anything more than this?’
nen ka isam ru-we
who even not.exist track-POSS
‘Is no one there?’
seta ka nep ka isam pe ne a p
dog even what even not.exist NMLZ COP PFV NMLZ
‘though there were no dogs or anything,’
a=teke-he ka a=epuni ka eaykap pe ne kusu
4.POSS=hand-POSS even 4.A=raise even cannot NMLZ COP because
‘because I could not even raise my hand,’
nep ka menoko payeka siri henne eci=nukar
what even woman pass.by appearance NEG 2PL.A=see
‘Did you see no sign at all that a woman had passed?’
nep kar kay omo an=ki wa okay=an
what do even NEG 4.A=do CONJ exist.PL=4.S
‘We lived doing no work at all.’
The particle ka: indefinite-formation and focus What are the two functions of the particle ka in negative clauses?
The particle ka is frequently used in negative clauses or with verbs of negative meaning, but is not strictly required. (Nakagawa 2024: 323 ) In Shizunai, the postposition ka occurs more frequently with negative predicates than positive ones, where it can mark an adjunct as 'not even' or 'not in the least'. (Refsing 1986: 172 ) ka can function as a negative particle. (Satō 2008: 369 )
nep ka pawci a=omare ka somo ki
what even poison 4.A=put.in even NEG do
‘I did not put in any poison.’
tan pe anak seta ka somo ne wa
this thing TOP dog even NEG COP FIN
‘This one is not a dog.’
Scalar minimizers and exhaustive negation How does the language use scalar minimizers to reinforce negation?
The adverb oar means 'completely, at all' and is mainly used in conjunction with negative expressions. (Satō 2008: 256 )
i=epetturasi p sinep ka isam
4.O=be.equal NMLZ one even not.exist
‘There is not a single one that is my equal.’
nep ka oar isam
what even completely not.exist
‘There is nothing at all.’
tu ipe somo ki re ipe somo ki no
two eat.a.meal NEG do three eat.a.meal NEG do ADV
‘eating neither two meals nor three meals,’
The scope of negation What is the scope condition for licensing negative-polarity indefinites?
sinep ka a=isamka ka somo ki ru-we ne kusu
one even 4.A=lose even NEG do track-POSS COP because
‘since I did not lose even a single one,’