Standard negation in Chibchan

Abstract

This paper surveys the form and the position of the negators of declarative verbal main clauses in the Chibchan languages. It attempts to describe the similarities and the differences, and it ventures hypotheses about the diachrony, primarily with an appeal to the Jespersen and Negative Existential Cycles. It sketches if and how the negators fit more general areal patterning, in particular, the Columbian Central American linguistic area.

Keywords

• Negation
• Jespersen cycle
• Negative existential cycle
• Columbian Central American linguistic area