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The negation mou5 in Guangdong Yue

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Abstract

It is suggested that despite appearances, negation mou5 in clauses in Guangdong Yue is derived phonologically from the sequence mou4 and jau5 by a two-step process of deletion of segmental phonology and tone association that exist independently. The syntactic presence of the verb jau5 is observable in six areas of syntax including aspectual restrictions, null objects, object fronting, VP-ellipsis, VP-fronting, and A-not-A questions. The co-occurrence of mou4 and jau5 in two nineteenth century texts as well as in Guangxi Yue provides diachronic and dialectal support for the analysis. The account suggested here brings the phonological and syntactic properties observed elsewhere to bear on the phonological and syntactic properties of mou5. It thus explains in a principled way why the facts are the way they are but not otherwise. The phonological analysis of negation mou5 is theoretically significant insofar as it adds an additional piece of empirical evidence for autosegmental phonology separating tone and segmental phonology.

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  1. City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Ave, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong

    Paul Law

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Law, P. The negation mou5 in Guangdong Yue. J East Asian Linguist 23, 267–305 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10831-013-9116-0

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