Published December 30, 2025 | Version v1
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Negation in Mano

Authors/Creators

  • 1. University of Helsinki, Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies

Description

This paper describes the negation system in Mano, a Southern Mande language. Negation in declarative, non-verbal and non-main clauses in Mano is asymmetric both because negation involves a change in the TAM constructions (constructional asymmetry) and because the inventory of negative constructions is reduced with respect to the inventory of affirmative constructions (paradigmatic asymmetry). In non-declarative constructions, several negative constructions do not have affirmative counterparts, resulting in paradigmatic asymmetry.  Mano indefinite quantifiers distinguish between full and partial negation. Another unusual feature is a dedicated negative particle gɔ̰ ̀á̰ which is used only in conditional constructions.
Mano does not have any negative derivation or negative coordinators and just one negative polarity item, féì ‘nothing’.

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Is part of
978-3-96110-552-6 (ISBN)
10.5281/zenodo.17787996 (DOI)