Synchrony and diachrony of postverbal negation in Jodï-Sáliban

Abstract

This article proposes a detailed comparative treatment of negation in the Jodï-Sáliban language family (Venezuela-Colombia, Northwest Amazonia, South America), which consists of four languages: Jodï [yau], Sáliba [slc], Piaroa [pid] and Mako [wpc]. This comparative analysis of negation strategies across the four languages in the family not only offers an overview of negation strategies in this language family but also allows for conclusions to be drawn on the cognacy of the different constructions and markers as well as on the sources of the main negation strategies. Specifically, I show that, even though certain markers are not cognate, negation in these languages has – as far back as the documentation goes – always been postverbal and suggest that postverbal negation can be diachronically stable. This research thus offers an in-depth analysis of negation in Jodï-Sáliban, a language family that remains underdescribed, and, crucially, contributes to our understanding of postverbal negation and its sources.