Information Sheet: Contexts licensing Negative Polarity Items
Overview
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Clausemate Negation (CMN): Negation particle (not) in the same clause.
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Non-Clausemate Negation (nCMN): Negation particle (not) occurs in the matrix clause, while the NPI appears in the subordinate clause.
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N-Word (NW): NPI is in the scope of an N-Word (such as nobody, nothing, never in English).
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kein `kein-negation': NPI is in the scope of kein (German negative determiner).
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without: NPI is in the scope of without.
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Restrictor of Universal Quantifier (UNIV): NPI is in the restriction of a universal quantifier.
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Downward-Entailing (DENT): NPI is in the scope of a downward-entailing expression (such as few, hardly).
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only: NPI is in the scope of only.
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Negative Verb (NV): NPI is in the scope of a non-affirmative predicate (doubt, fear, it is impossible/improbable that) or of an adversative attitude predicate (be
surprised, regret).
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Question (QUE): NPI occurs within a yes-no-question.
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Conditional (IF): NPI is in the scope of a conditional operator (if).
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Comparative (COMP): NPI is in the scope of a comparative.
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Superlative (SUP): NPI is in the scope of a superlative.
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Imperative (IMP): NPI is in the scope of an imperative.