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Are asymmetries in imperative negation based in usage?

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Are asymmetries in imperative negation based in usage? / Van Olmen, Daniel.
In: Linguistic Typology at the Crossroads, Vol. 4, No. 2, 31.01.2025, p. 158-219.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Van Olmen, D 2025, 'Are asymmetries in imperative negation based in usage?', Linguistic Typology at the Crossroads, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 158-219. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2785-0943/19446

APA

Van Olmen, D. (2025). Are asymmetries in imperative negation based in usage? Linguistic Typology at the Crossroads, 4(2), 158-219. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2785-0943/19446

Vancouver

Van Olmen D. Are asymmetries in imperative negation based in usage? Linguistic Typology at the Crossroads. 2025 Jan 31;4(2):158-219. Epub 2025 Jan 23. doi: 10.6092/issn.2785-0943/19446

Author

Van Olmen, Daniel. / Are asymmetries in imperative negation based in usage?. In: Linguistic Typology at the Crossroads. 2025 ; Vol. 4, No. 2. pp. 158-219.

Bibtex

@article{6dec0c6cf86e458faddb6d4389fb06f5,
title = "Are asymmetries in imperative negation based in usage?",
abstract = "This article extends the study of (a)symmetries in negation to the domain of (negative) imperatives. It examines a balanced sample of the world{\textquoteright}s languages for distinctions in tense, direction/location and intersubjectivity and observes that, like with asymmetry in standard negation, they are often neutralized from positive to negative but not vice versa. Intersubjective marking is found to be somewhat exceptional in that the opposite situation does occasionally occur. The article also tests whether and confirms that these asymmetries are grounded in usage patterns, with a corpus investigation of English and Dutch (negative) imperatives. It proposes negation{\textquoteright}s discourse presuppositionality, which has been argued to account for neutralization in standard negation, as an explanation for most but not all of these typological and usage-based results in imperative negation too. It nevertheless makes a case for other, more imperative-specific motivations as well. ",
author = "{Van Olmen}, Daniel",
year = "2025",
month = jan,
day = "31",
doi = "10.6092/issn.2785-0943/19446",
language = "English",
volume = "4",
pages = "158--219",
journal = "Linguistic Typology at the Crossroads",
issn = "2785-0943",
publisher = "University of Bologna",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Are asymmetries in imperative negation based in usage?

AU - Van Olmen, Daniel

PY - 2025/1/31

Y1 - 2025/1/31

N2 - This article extends the study of (a)symmetries in negation to the domain of (negative) imperatives. It examines a balanced sample of the world’s languages for distinctions in tense, direction/location and intersubjectivity and observes that, like with asymmetry in standard negation, they are often neutralized from positive to negative but not vice versa. Intersubjective marking is found to be somewhat exceptional in that the opposite situation does occasionally occur. The article also tests whether and confirms that these asymmetries are grounded in usage patterns, with a corpus investigation of English and Dutch (negative) imperatives. It proposes negation’s discourse presuppositionality, which has been argued to account for neutralization in standard negation, as an explanation for most but not all of these typological and usage-based results in imperative negation too. It nevertheless makes a case for other, more imperative-specific motivations as well.

AB - This article extends the study of (a)symmetries in negation to the domain of (negative) imperatives. It examines a balanced sample of the world’s languages for distinctions in tense, direction/location and intersubjectivity and observes that, like with asymmetry in standard negation, they are often neutralized from positive to negative but not vice versa. Intersubjective marking is found to be somewhat exceptional in that the opposite situation does occasionally occur. The article also tests whether and confirms that these asymmetries are grounded in usage patterns, with a corpus investigation of English and Dutch (negative) imperatives. It proposes negation’s discourse presuppositionality, which has been argued to account for neutralization in standard negation, as an explanation for most but not all of these typological and usage-based results in imperative negation too. It nevertheless makes a case for other, more imperative-specific motivations as well.

U2 - 10.6092/issn.2785-0943/19446

DO - 10.6092/issn.2785-0943/19446

M3 - Journal article

VL - 4

SP - 158

EP - 219

JO - Linguistic Typology at the Crossroads

JF - Linguistic Typology at the Crossroads

SN - 2785-0943

IS - 2

ER -