On the D-structure position of negative sentence adverbials in French

Rowlett, PA

Abstract

The author evaluates aspects of recent work by Pollock (1989), Belletti (1990) and Zanuttini (1991), in particular one fundamental assumption made there about the syntax of negative clauses in French. While accepting Pollock's claim that the clitic ne is generated as the X0 head of its own phrasal projection, the author rejects the claim (first made by Pollock (1989: 418) and subsequently endorsed by Belletti (1990: 30) and Zanuttini (1991: 35)) that pas is an Xmax phrasal category base-generated as the specifier of ne, i.e., in the specifier position within NegP. The author offers a three-sided argument against such an analysis, invoking: (a) a significant generalisation regarding the specifier position within functional projections; (b) the relationship between elements like pas and indefinite direct objects in clauses containing a transitive verb; and (c) the syntax of adverbials in general. The author goes on to consider Obenauer's (1983; 1984) work on `quantification at a distance' and Battye's (1989; 1991) work on `nominal quantification'. He argues for a unified account of negative sentence adverbials in French and posits accordingly that pas is generated in a lower position in clause structure, either adjoined to VP or as the head N of a determiner-less direct object indefinite DP.

Citation

Rowlett, P. (1992). On the D-structure position of negative sentence adverbials in French

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 1992
• Deposit Date: Aug 10, 2010
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 10, 2010
• Journal: Department of Modern Languages Working Papers in Language and Linguistics
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Issue: 12