Abstract
This paper argues that two phenomena widely perceived as syntactic, negation and A-not-A question formation, are performed in the lexicon in Cantonese. Specifically, the negative morpheme m 唔 is prefixed in the lexicon, not in the syntax.
Evidence that m 唔 is a prefix includes the following. It never appears in isolation, not even as a response to questions. Certain verbs, like yau, 有 'have', show special suppletive forms in the negative. Some lexical items, like the quantifier dou, 都 all, are exceptions to the general rules. Lastly, in certain uses it is clearly a lexical prefix like the English un-.
However, it has always been thought to be inserted by syntactic rule, and to negate the phrasal category VP. I argue that it negates not phrasal but lexical categories, including all those with the feature [＋V]: verbs, adjectives, prepositions, and some adverbs. I also argue that A-not-A questions must be formed by a lexical reduplication rule, not in the syntax at all.
This proposal will offer a way of dealing with the interaction between negation and aspect in Cantonese.
I have drawn heavily on Yau (1973), a very comprehensive and insightful work on negation in Cantonese.
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