Speaker: Boer Fu (MIT)
Title: Negation Scoping and Focus in Mandarin Biased Questions
Time: Thursday, September 24th, 12:30pm – 1:50pm
Abstract: The role of negation in biased yes/no questions has been under much discussion in the literature. I present evidence from the 4-way readings of Mandarin negative yes/no questions, which support Romero & Hans (2004) VERUM operator account. A question like (1) can have 4 different readings, depending on the placement of focus and boundary tone.
(1) ta bu chi niurou ma
he NEG eat beef MA
(a) Doesnt he eat beef? Focus on eat, H% Biased question
(b) Does he not eat beef? Focus on NEG, H% Surprised question
(c) He eats beef. Focus on eat, L% Rhetorical question
(d) He doesnt eat beef. Focus on NEG, L% Negative dogmatic assertion
The contrast between readings (a) and (b) has its parallel in English biased questions, the Outside-NEG reading vs. Inside-NEG reading (Ladd 1981). Romero & Han (2004) analyzes the contrast to stem from a difference in scoping between negation and VERUM, a silent operator. In this talk, I show that in Mandarin, VERUM can be pronounced at PF as ?shi, and displays overt scoping with negation that confirms Romero & Hans prediction of the two readings. And when the Mandarin VERUM is optionally silent, focus can cue the negation scoping at LF, via association with focus (Rooth 1985).