Negative Idioms

Abstract

The meaning of complex idiomatic expressions cannot be fully derived from the meaning of their parts. Thus, (1a)'s meaning is not derived by semantic composition of {me}, {vale} and {madre}. Additionally, idiomatic expressions are partially syntactically active: (1a) can be clitic left-dislocated with a 3pl. clitic (cf. (1b)), allows for a pl. NP (cf. (1c)), but not a full DP (cf. (1d))). Given the non-compositionality of idiomatic meaning, idioms must be stored as lexical units (i.e. word-like units) in the lexicon. (1) a. Me cl.1sg vale is.worth madre mother (Mexican Spanish) 'I don't give a shit.' b. A to ellos them les cl.3pl vale is.worth madre. mother 'They don't give a shit.' c. Me cl.1sg vale is.worth madres mothers 'I don't give a shit.' d. Hoy today me cl.1sg valen are.worth madres mothers 'Today I don't give a shit.' e. * Me cl.1sg valen is.worth {la/una} the/a madre mother famosa famous One particular class of idioms (henceforth N-idioms) have the following properties: 1) they require syntactic negation, as seen indicated by *(no) in (2)), 2) they have idiomatic meaning (cf. the translations of (2), 3) they are not fully syntactically productive (cf. (3), only possible in the somewhat absurd literal meaning). (2) a. Anoche last night *(no) not pegué stuck ojo. eye 'Last night I didn't sleep at all.' b. *(No) not pega/da hit/give (ni) (not una. even) one 'S/he doesn't do a thing right.' c. *(No) not es is nada nothing del of-the otro other mundo. world 'Be nothing out of the ordinary.' d. *(No) not es is moco snot de of pavo. turkey 'It's not a piece of cake.' e. *(No) not tiene have pelos hairs en in la the lengua tongue 'S/he will call a spade spade' (3) a. #Mi mi colega colleague no not tiene has pelo hair en on la the lengua tongue b. ??Anoche, last night, no not fue was pegado stuck ojo eye por on parte Pedro's de part Pedro c. Terminé finished la the tarea, homework, #lo que which no is es no moco green verde snot de of pavo! turkey 4) Negation must c-command the idiomatic expression (cf. (4)-(5)). In (4), the idiomatic VP is embedded in the infinitival subject clause, where it cannot be c-commanded by negation. In (5a), a fronted VP idiom is also not licensed by negation that doesn't c-command it. As a conclusion, the N-idiom must be …