Affirmative-to-negative correspondences in the phasal polarity domain

Abstract This paper examines the correspondences between affirmative and negative members of phasal polarity systems, with particular focus on systems that consistently adopt one scope relation between negation and operator to the exclusion of the other. To this end, I draw on a global convenience sample of 150 languages representing 101 phyla. Consistent with earlier, smaller-scale studies, the findings reveal a pronounced asymmetry in the distribution of these correspondences. Inner negation (negation within the scope of the operator) is globally predominant, and systems that consistently employ inner negation far outnumber their wide-scope counterparts. Among inner-negating strategies, the use of ‘still not’ to express ‘not yet’ is more common than that of ‘already not’ for ‘no longer’; what is more, the presence of the latter pattern nearly universally predicts that of the former. These results offer further evidence against Löbner’s duality hypothesis as a comprehensive account of phasal polarity systems. In terms of explanation, I argue that the observed asymmetries are best explained by evolutionary biases rooted in semantic proximity, which are also reflected in discourse-pragmatic considerations and lexical source patterns.