Negation in Hungarian

É. Kiss, Katalin (2011) Negation in Hungarian. In: Negation in Uralic Languages. John Benjamins, Amsterdam, pp. 219-238. ISBN 9789027206893

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Abstract

The paper presents predicate negation and constituent negation in Hungarian, both of which are expressed by the negative particle nem in indicative clauses, and by ne in imperative, subjunctive, and optative clauses. Se(m) is analyzed as a minimalizing particle, which can replace the particle ne(m) in certain contexts. The paper discusses two word order possibilities: the standard option, with the V raised to nem across the verbal particle, and an archaic pattern, with nem intervening between the verbal particle and the verb. Nem merges with the 3rd person present indicative copula, yielding nincs ‘isn’t’. An indefinite in the scope of negation is supplied with the minimalizer sem. Hungarian is shown to be a strict negative concord language, where universal and existential pronouns have special negative forms, which always require the presence of the negative particle. The paper also discusses negative replies, abessive morphemes, metalinguistic negation, and the non-negative, modal uses of the negative particle.

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