Polarity-reversing Affrimative Particles : A Feature of Standard Average European (SAE)

Sammanfattning: Polarity-reversing affirmative particles are a phenomenon that has largely been overlooked in previous research. A polarity-reversing affirmative particle is used to express disagreement with the polarity of a preceding negative statement. It is a typical answer strategy in Swedish, German, Dutch as well as in French. In fact, findings from previous cross-linguistic studies suggest, though without further detail, that polarity-reversing affirmative particles are a phenomenon predominantly found in European and more specifically in Germanic languages (Da Milano 2004; Roelofsen & Farkas 2015; Moser 2018). The aim of this study is to examine the hypotheses presented in Moser (2018). The goals are to investigate the distribution of polarity-reversing affirmative particles in Europe on the one hand, and to examine the phenomenon in Swedish, German, Dutch and French from a diachronic perspective on the other hand. On the basis of these endeavors, this study is embedded in the framework of areal typology. This study brings forth highly interesting findings in view of the discussion of Standard Average European and the Charlemagne Sprachbund.