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A Grammar of Hokkaido Ainu

Knowledge base · Part XVI — Negation

129. Negative-Polarity Indefinites and the Scope of Negation

How does the language form negative-polarity indefinites, and what determines the scope of negation?

この言語はどのように否定極性不定詞を形成し、否定のスコープは何によって決まるのか？

The ka-indefinite/NPI series under somo, negative concord, constituent vs clausal negation, and the negation of nominal predicates (somo ... ne).

candidate topic from the first edition topic:negation/negation-polarity-items-scope read this topic as text

5claims
17statements
13sources
14examples
6sections
53first-edition sentences

Local network

The chapter, its sections, the sources it cites, the chapters it cross-references, the forms it mentions most, and the claims grouped under it with the sources that assert, propose, doubt or reject each.

Claims

A claim is one proposition; under it stand the statements of each source, with the stance that source takes. Claims are grouped by a model from the extracted statements and carry that status until reviewed.

Sections

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The interrogative-based indefinite series 1 claims ·9 sentences· 1 examples

How does the language form indefinite pronouns from interrogatives, and how does negation affect their interpretation?

  1. 'Nothing exists' and 'nobody exists' are expressed by neera'ampe ka 'isam and nee 'aynu ka 'isam, respectively.
    「何もない」「誰もいない」は neera'ampe ka 'isam, nee 'aynu ka 'isam という。
    form-function sakhalin generic neera'ampe ka 'isamnee 'aynu ka 'isam
    asserts murasaki2025
nen ka ek
who even come
‘Someone is coming.’
constructed

The licensing predicates 12 sentences· 7 examples

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,’
nakagawa2024:407 SAR
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?’
kanazawa1898 SAR NINJAL topical dictionary, ‘感情’ 010#34
nen ka isam ru-we
who even not.exist track-POSS
‘Is no one there?’
kanazawa1898 SAR NINJAL topical dictionary, ‘問答’ 062#48
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,’
nakagawa2024:323 SAR
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,’
nakagawa2024:323 SAR
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?’
nakagawa2024:408 SHI Okuda (ed.) 1999; Nakagawa ex. 837
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.’
nakagawa2024:408 HK Shiranuka; Yotsuya 2007: 140; Nakagawa ex. 835

The particle ka: indefinite-formation and focus 3 claims ·10 sentences· 2 examples

What are the two functions of the particle ka in negative clauses?

  1. The particle ka is frequently used in negative clauses or with verbs of negative meaning, but is not strictly required.
    助詞 ka は否定文や否定的な意味の動詞を含む節でよく用いられるが、必須ではない。
    distribution ainu frequently ka
    asserts nakagawa2024
  2. 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'.
    静内方言において後置詞 ka は肯定述語よりも否定述語とともにより頻繁に生起し、副加語を「〜さえ…ない」「少しも…ない」として標示することがある。
    frequency hokkaido/southwest/shizunai frequently ka
    asserts refsing1986
  3. ka can function as a negative particle.
    ka は否定の助詞として機能する。
    form-function ka
    asserts sato2008
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.’
nakagawa2024:323 SAR
tan pe anak seta ka somo ne wa
this thing TOP dog even NEG COP FIN
‘This one is not a dog.’
sato2008:22 HK

Scalar minimizers and exhaustive negation 1 claims ·8 sentences· 3 examples

How does the language use scalar minimizers to reinforce negation?

  1. The adverb oar means 'completely, at all' and is mainly used in conjunction with negative expressions.
    副詞 oar は「全く」という意味であるが、主に否定的な表現と共に用いられる。
    distribution ainu usually oar
    asserts sato2008
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.’
nakagawa2024:450 SAR
nep ka oar isam
what even completely not.exist
‘There is nothing at all.’
biratori1969 SAR Kurokawa Teshime, uwepeker ‘Piratorun nupur ekasi’
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,’
nakagawa2024:323 SAR

The scope of negation 9 sentences· 1 examples

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,’
nakagawa2024:393 SAR

Boundaries and open questions 5 sentences

What are the established patterns and unresolved questions about negative-polarity indefinites?