Negation in Sana'ani Dialect: A Syntactic Analysis

Abstract

This paper investigates the syntactic aspects of negation in the Sana'ani dialect (SD), focusing on the system of negation and the use of different negation markers based on their contexts. The paper thus aims to highlight the diverse syntactic structures of negation markers in this dialect. The paper also studies the distinctive roles of the negation markers ‘ma’ and ‘-sh’: ‘ma’ functions as the head of the Negation Phrase (NegP), while ‘-sh’ operates as a clitic occupying the specifier position within a related NegP. Thus, two NegP positions in the Sana’ani dialect can be identified — one above the Tense Phrase (TP) and another below it. Furthermore, the paper distinguishes variations in the negation system based on clause type and other syntactic features. It is hoped that the paper can help provide a clearer understanding of how negation is expressed in the Sana'ani dialect and how this dialect is different from and similar to other Arabic dialects.