[PLing] Talk by Ann-Marie Moser on negative concord in German dialects

[Kriszta Eszter Szendröi]

You are cordially invited to a guest lecture
on Tuesday 11 March 2025, 4:45pm-5:50pm (we will finish in time for the Wienergesellschaft lecture)
in Seminarraum 7  Sensengasse 3a  2.OG
by

Ann-Marie Moser, University of Zurich & Zurich Center for Linguistics
On negative concord in German dialects
In German dialects two different types of negative concord are possible: negative doubling and negative spread. In negative doubling, a negative indefinite occurs together with the negation particle (= sentential negation marker), usually in the form of no NP not (e.g. in Bavarian koa Mensch ned). In negative spread, two or more negative indefinites occur in one sentence – without any (overt) sentential negation marker. Negative spread (e.g. in the form of nie nichts ‘never nothing’) is preferred by Alemannic speakers while negative doubling represents the preferred type of all other speakers (e.g. Bavarian speakers).
In my talk I will present the most important results of Moser (2021): I will first look at the areal distribution and frequency of negative concord in German dialects. Based on my data, I will then argue that negative doubling and negative spread represent two different types of negation, i.e., there is no correlation between them. After that, I will discuss possible functions of negative concord in German dialects. Finally, I will address the question of why we do not find negative concord in the German standard variety.

References:
Moser, Ann-Marie (2021): Negationskongruenz in den deutschen Dialekten. Stuttgart: Steiner.

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