In Persian dialect of Hamedan, there are some negative sentences which do not mark polarity. In cross-linguistic studies, these structures are called expletive negatives. They are formally negative, but logically positive. Based on a fieldwork data, I have shown that expletive negatives occur in temporal adverb clauses of ‘since, until, as soon as, before’, adverbial clauses of unexpected or impossible event, and clauses showing regret and complain. I have argued that the shared function of expletive negative in these concepts is to show a kind of epistemic modality. The meaning conveyed in these contexts is uncertainty, impossibility and unwillingness. Hence, the negative marker does not show polarity, but a kind of epistemic modality. The prevalence of this structure in Hamedani dialect is due to its long contact with Turkish, a language which has many instances of expletive negative. Hamedani Persian has borrowed this structure from 'before' adverb clauses of Turkish.
Rasekhmahand, M. and Nasseh, M. A. (2022). When negative is positive; the study of expletive negation in Hamedani. Language and Linguistics, 18(36), 1-12. doi: 10.30465/lsi.2023.44382.1657
MLA
Rasekhmahand, M. , and Nasseh, M. A. . "When negative is positive; the study of expletive negation in Hamedani", Language and Linguistics, 18, 36, 2022, 1-12. doi: 10.30465/lsi.2023.44382.1657
HARVARD
Rasekhmahand, M., Nasseh, M. A. (2022). 'When negative is positive; the study of expletive negation in Hamedani', Language and Linguistics, 18(36), pp. 1-12. doi: 10.30465/lsi.2023.44382.1657
CHICAGO
M. Rasekhmahand and M. A. Nasseh, "When negative is positive; the study of expletive negation in Hamedani," Language and Linguistics, 18 36 (2022): 1-12, doi: 10.30465/lsi.2023.44382.1657
VANCOUVER
Rasekhmahand, M., Nasseh, M. A. When negative is positive; the study of expletive negation in Hamedani. Language and Linguistics, 2022; 18(36): 1-12. doi: 10.30465/lsi.2023.44382.1657
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