The Syntax of Negation

Book Details

• Author: Liliane Haegeman

• Brand: Cambridge University Press

• Edition: Revised ed.

• Binding: Paperback

• Number of Pages: 335

• Release Date: 30-11-2005

• Languages: English

• ISBN: 9780521023481

About the Book

In this insightful and comprehensive book, Liliane Haegeman explores the concept of sentential negation within the framework of Government and Binding theory. Drawing on the foundational work of linguists like Klima and Lasnik, Haegeman proposes a unified analysis of negative sentences and interrogative sentences through a syntactic representation well-formedness condition known as the AFFECT criterion. This criterion, which is instantiated as the WH-criterion in interrogative sentences and the NEG-criterion in negative sentences, provides an intriguing parallel between the two sentence types.

Through her analysis, Haegeman argues that, much like the WH-criterion in many languages leads to WH-movement, the NEG-criterion results in NEG-movement, particularly evident in Germanic languages. Haegeman also addresses the syntactic structure of negation in Romance languages, introducing the concept of representational chains. In this context, the NEG-criterion operates at the S-structure level, offering a deeper understanding of sentence negation across different language families.

The book also delves into broader theoretical issues in syntax, such as the distinction between A-positions and A'-positions, as well as the application of well-formedness conditions in sentence structure. This work will be invaluable to linguists and researchers in theoretical syntax, particularly those focusing on Germanic and Romance languages. Haegeman’s clear and detailed analysis makes this an essential read for those interested in the complexities of negation and syntactic theory.