The Evolution of Negation: Beyond the Jespersen Cycle

Published by De Gruyter Mouton 2012

The Evolution of Negation

Beyond the Jespersen Cycle

Edited by: Pierre Larrivée and Richard P. Ingham

Volume 235 in the series Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs [TiLSM]

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110238617

Overview
Contents

About this book

Why do grammars change? The cycle of negation proposed by Jespersen is crucially linked to the status of items and phrases. The definition of criteria establishing when a polarity item becomes a negative element, and the identification of the role of phrases for the evolution of negation are the two objectives pursued by the contributions to this volume.

The contributions look at the emergence of negative items, and their relation within a given sentence, with particular reference to English and French. The comparative perspective supports the documentation of the fine-grained steps that shed light on the factors that (i) determine change and those that (ii) accompany actuation, which are considered through a dialogue between functionalist and formalist approaches. By looking at the place of negation in the architecture of the sentence, they take up the debate as to the relevance of phrasal projections and consider the role of features. Focusing on the make-up of individual items makes it possible to re-conceptualise the Jespersen cycle as the apparent result of the documented evolution patterns of individual (series of) items. This novel perspective is solidly grounded on an extensive use of the complete, up to date bibliography, and will contribute to shape future research.

Author / Editor information

Pierre Larrivée, Aston University, Coventry, UK; Richard Ingham, Birmingham City University, UK.

Supplementary Materials

Contents

Topics

Frontmatter Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	i
Table of contents Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	v
Is there a Jespersen cycle? Pierre Larrivée Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Negative words and related expressions: A new perspective on some familiar puzzles Theresa Biberauer and Ian Roberts Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	23
Negative words and negation in French Marie Labelle Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	61
Secondary negation and information structure organisation in the history of English Ans van Kemenade Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	77
Looking high and low for NegP in early English Eric Haeberli Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	115
Ne-drop and indefinites in Anglo-Norman and Middle English Richard Ingham Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	145
Looking at Middle English through the mirror of Anglo-Norman Jack Hoeksema Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	165
Ne-absence in declarative and yes/no interrogative contexts: Some patterns of change France Martineau Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	179
The early absence of the French negative marker ne Paul Rowlett Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	209
Atoms of negation: An outside-in micro-parametric approach to negative concord Viviane Déprez Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	221
Viviane Déprez: ‘‘Atoms of negation. An outside-in micro-parametric approach to negative concord.’’ Discussion Maj-Britt Mosegaard Hansen Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	273
Negative polarity and the quantifier cycle: Comparative diachronic perspectives from European languages David Willis Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	285
Indefinite pronouns, synchrony and diachrony: Comments on Willis Johan van der Auwera and Lauren Van Alsenoy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	325
Subject index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	347
Language index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	349

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter Mouton
Audience: Historical Linguists, Formalists, Functionalists, Sociolinguists
Pages
- Front matter: 6
- Main content: 350
Keywords: Historical Linguistics; Language Change; Jespersen Cycle

eBook

Published: December 23, 2011
ISBN: 9783110238617

Hardcover

Published: December 19, 2011
ISBN: 9783110238600