Rhetorical Questions and Polarity Licensing: On Cantonese Modal Sai2

Abstract

This paper investigates the deontic modal sai2 in Cantonese. I argue that sai2 is an NPI and a negative operator is induced at the sentence-initial position by the SFPs me1 or aa4 in rhetorical questions. In SAI sentence, sai2 must syntactically agree with the negative operator for licensing, and minimality and locality effects are found in such agreement. This study may provide evidence of a syntactic approach to NPI licensing and rhetorical questions.

Keywords

• cantonese modals
• npi licensing
• minimality
• rhetorical questions