SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.39 issue2THE CLAUSAL DOUBLING CONSTRUCTION (OR ON WHAT IT MEANS TO REPEAT A SENTENCE)THE TRANSLATION OF THE COLOMBIANISMS “BERRACO” AND “CHIMBA” INTO BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE IN NARCOS SERIES: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Services on Demand

Journal

Article

Related links

Share


Lingüística

On-line version ISSN 2079-312X

Abstract

HATTNHER, Marize Mattos Dall'aglio; SERAFIM, Monielly  and  SILVA, Vítor Henrique Santos da. THE EXISTENTIAL NEGATION IN NATIVE LANGUAGES OF BRAZIL. Lingüística [online]. 2023, vol.39, n.2, pp.89-108.  Epub Oct 18, 2023. ISSN 2079-312X.  https://doi.org/10.5935/2079-312x.20230019.

The so-called “existential constructions” are common to several languages around the world, although they can have quite different forms and functions. Among those languages, a specific type of marker that affirms the non-existence of an element is verified.

This phenomenon, called “existential negation”, differs from a case of predicate negation, in which a simple negation turns the sentence into a negative one. The present work analyzes existential negation in 21 native languages of Brazil, verifying i) the relationship between the existential negation form of expression (lexical or grammatical) and the form of positive existence marker; ii) the overlap between existence, location and possession. Among other results, it was possible to show that, although formal parallelism between existence and non-existence is not mandatory, the grammatical status of the expression of existential negation form always presupposes the grammatical status of the existential construction.

Keywords : existential negation; location; possession; indigenous languages; typology.

        · abstract in Portuguese | Spanish     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )