A Transferred Negation Interpretation from an Embedded to a Matrix Clause

A Transferred Negation Interpretation from an Embedded to a Matrix Clause

Park, Sangsoo. 2003. A Transferred Negation Interpretation from an Embedded to a Matrix Clause. English Language and Linguistics 16, 271-294. In a negative complex sentence which is headed by the verb denoting the features of internalized epistemic modality and grammaticalized subjunctive mood, notdisplacement is possible if and only if the P-feature Neg in the probe of a matrix and the Neg- feature in the goal of an embedded clause can be matched and identified by the operation Agree. This means that transferred negation interpretation in a negative complex sentence is guaranteed by the verb which has internalized episternic modality and grammaticalized subjunctive mood feature. The P-feature Neg in the probe renders the negative feature in the goal active, which is able to implement the operation Agree and the internal Merge of Neg-operator triggering not-displacement. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the derivational process of the internal Merge of Neg-operator in an infinitival complement or a finite complement clause starts from the NegP of the embedded clause via CP and vP successively to the matrix NegP by phase to phase.