Negation in Lamnso

Abstract

Negation is a grammatical phenomenon on which descriptive and theoretical linguists have been working on for over the years. Since there is no unique syntactic position that negative markers or particles occupy, their varying positions need to be determines especially at the deep structure level of language. This paper, therefore focuses its attention on what obtains with yo’ / la’ (not) in Lamnso (a semi Bantu language spoken in the larger parts of the Bui Division of the Northwest Region), within the theoretical considerations of the principles and parameters theory. Unlike in English and other languages where the negative particles of “not” are generated below the TP (Tense Phrase) and in some cases as bound morphemes, the Lamnsoyo’ and la’ manifest two distinct features. Firstly, they operate as a free morpheme and secondly they are generated below the TP (as in English) and secondly above the VP in all contexts of time-specifications (tenses) at the D-Structure. However, at the S-Structure, while la’ remains constantly generated below the TP within the Conditional Phrase (ConP), the yo’Neg morpheme for the present tense (P0), the past tense (P1), the future tenses (F1, F2 and F3) moves to the head of the Agreement Phrase (AgrP) Agr, while remaining constant below the TP for P2 and P3.