Documentation

Linglib.Semantics.Polarity.ExpletiveNegation

Expletive Negation Typology #

Pre-Fragment typological substrate for expletive negation (EN): framework-agnostic classification types that Fragments and Studies import to type their per-language EN data. The trigger-class / licensing apparatus traces to [Esp92]'s logical-absorption account, on which the [Gre20] / [Ret26] refinements build.

Two orthogonal classifications:

These types classify EN constructions by their empirical properties without committing to a syntactic analysis. The syntactic derivation (from merge position in the extended projection) lives in Studies/Greco2020.lean under namespace Minimalist.NegScope.

EN blocking reasons #

Cross-linguistic reasons why a trigger class may not license expletive negation in a particular language ([JK21] §7).

  • modalRestriction : ENBlockingReason

    Language disprefers modal operators in complement clauses

  • npOnlyComplement : ENBlockingReason

    Comparative complements only allow NPs, not clauses

  • analyticNegation : ENBlockingReason

    Concept expressed analytically with necessary (non-expletive) negation

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      EN type classification #

      Two syntactic types of expletive negation ([Ret26]).

      High EN appears above TP, targets non-truth-conditional content (exclamatives, surprise negation). It is obligatory where licensed.

      Low EN appears below TP (VP-level), targets truth-conditional content in ambidirectional environments. It is optional and triggers a manner implicature (evaluativity).

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        def Negation.instReprENType.repr :
        ENTypeStd.Format
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          ENType ≃ Bool: low ↦ false, high ↦ true.

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            Numeric embedding: low ↦ 0, high ↦ 1. Ordering: low < high (truth-conditional before non-truth-conditional).

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              EN strength classification #

              [Gre20] §2.1: EN constructions divide into two classes based on co-occurrence with polarity-sensitive elements.

              Weak EN retains some polarity properties of standard negation: licenses weak NPIs and N-words (e.g. finché-clauses, unless-clauses).

              Strong EN loses all polarity properties: rejects weak NPIs, strong NPIs, not-also conjunctions, and N-words (e.g. negative exclamatives, rhetorical questions, surprise negation).

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                def Negation.instReprENStrength.repr :
                ENStrengthStd.Format
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                  ENStrength ≃ Bool: weak ↦ false, strong ↦ true.

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                    Numeric embedding: weak ↦ 0, strong ↦ 1. Ordering: weak < strong (retains-polarity before loses-polarity).

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                      Polarity classes and licensing profiles #

                      The four classes of polarity-sensitive elements tested by [Gre20] Table 1. Each EN environment either licenses or rejects each class, giving a four-bit fingerprint.

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                          PolarityClass ≃ Fin 4: weakNPI ↦ 0, strongNPI ↦ 1, notAlsoConj ↦ 2, nWord ↦ 3.

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                            Polarity licensing profile for an EN environment ([Gre20] Table 1). Each field records whether that class of polarity-sensitive element is grammatical in the construction.

                            • weakNPIs : Bool
                            • strongNPIs : Bool
                            • notAlsoConj : Bool
                            • nWords : Bool
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                              def Negation.instDecidableEqPolarityLicensing.decEq (x✝ x✝¹ : PolarityLicensing) :
                              Decidable (x✝ = x✝¹)
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                                  Weak EN environments license weak NPIs and N-words but NOT strong NPIs or not-also conjunctions.

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                                    Strong EN environments license NONE of the four polarity classes.

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                                      The licensing profile determined by an EN strength class ([Gre20] Table 1: rows are uniform within each class).

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                                        Strong EN rejects ALL polarity classes (universally quantified).

                                        Weak EN licenses exactly the weak NPIs and N-words.

                                        def Negation.PolarityLicensing.equiv :
                                        PolarityLicensing Bool × Bool × Bool × Bool

                                        Equivalence with Bool⁴ for Fintype derivation.

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                                          instance Negation.instDecidableRelPolarityLicensingLe :
                                          DecidableRel fun (x1 x2 : PolarityLicensing) => x1 x2
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                                          Standard negation profile: licenses all polarity-sensitive elements.

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                                            Strong EN (⊥) ≤ weak EN in the licensing lattice.