Negation with participles

Abstract

Languages differ with respect to the possibility of introducing a negative operator between an auxiliary verb and a participle inside aspectual periphrases; whereas Lithuanian perfect forms allow negation in that position, Spanish rejects it. The goal of this paper is to offer an analysis of this contrast, which contributes to our understanding of low negation in the clausal domain. We propose that when negation follows an auxiliary verb, it is merged in a Polarity Phrase placed below AspP within the event domain. This low negation gives rise to an inhibited event reading, which expresses that the subject refrains himself from initiating the event. We argue that the possibility of introducing a negative operator between a participle and an auxiliary is conditional upon the hierarchical level in which the relevant participle is formed. We show that in Spanish, this verbal form is built above Asp and as a result, low negation would intervene between the verbal stem and the participial morphology. On the contrary, in Lithuanian, participles are formed in the event domain, below AspP. Low negation can, thus, be added without breaking the internal make up of the participle.