Toward a Unified Approach to Negative Polarity Triggered by Inherently Negative Predicates

Abstract

In this paper I observe a puzzling case of negative polarity licensing triggered by an inherently negative predicate (INP) in Korean where the anti-locality generalization collapses. INPs may license negative polarity items (NPIs) in the subject position (as well as those embedded under the complement clause), when they select a certain clausal complement. The puzzling case cannot be taken care of by the Null Operator Analysis (NOA), as it stands, because the subject NPI is not embedded under a CP. Logically there seem to be two possible ways to resolve the puzzle. One possibility is to push the NPI in the matrix subject position down to some position in the embedded clause, while keeping the NOA intact, so that the NPI may be c-commanded/licensed by the NO in C at least at some point of derivation. The other is to abandon the NOA altogether and propose an alternative analysis. The second will be opted for in this paper.