The Morpho-Syntax of Polarity in Gujarati

Abstract

This paper explores the various expressions of polarity and tense in Gujarati, focusing on the standard dialect. The expressions of negation in Gujarati provide support for the cross-linguistically possible position of the Polarity head in the functional projection. I propose that some expressions of polarity can be analyzed as portmanteau morphemes, which gives support to the idea that these morphemes are in fact realizations of spans of independent, syntactic heads. Furthermore, there is some variability in the position of these forms of negation, which sheds light on possible postsyntactic movements that languages may have, especially regarding the inversion of post-syntactic elements.