On the status of nai in modern Japanese

要旨

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p> One of the commonest words in Japanese, nai has received varying theoretical treatments from linguists, with differing practical consequences. The paper seeks to provide a clear synchronic descriptive account, identifying the issues concerned and considering different positions in the light of relevant criteria. Topics addressed include the incidence of suppletion in Japanese, the weighting of morphological and syntactic criteria in word class assignment, gradience of membership, and the question of diachronic influences on current analyses.</jats:p>

主題