A cross-linguistic study of emphatic negative coordination

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide a detailed cross-linguistic analysis of so-called emphatic negative coordination (enc). This kind of clause linkage is illustrated by neither and nor in She neither could nor would speak lightly of the accident. On the basis of a 250-language sample, the paper lays out a new typology of enc meant to gain novel insights. It is shown that languages can combine enc types, and that contact and borrowing are relevant triggers for the emergence of this sort of clause linkage. The article also reveals that there is considerable variety in the etymological sources and grammaticalization paths of enc markers.