3.1.4.3.1. Scope of negation
In coordination two constituents are considered coordinated if a negative marker can scope over both. In LSC, a negative marker in one conjunct cannot affect both conjuncts, though. This test cannot be applied, then, to LSC. There are two different strategies available to negate both conjuncts, where (i) the negation is repeated in both conjuncts, and (ii) the pronominal sign the-2 is used. If the negative marker is present in both conjuncts, this does not mean that the two constituents are not coordinated. The non-manual markers that characterize coordination in LSC are used, too. In the following examples, the two different strategies used to negate both conjuncts are presented. In (a), a negative element meaning “not…either”, glossed as also.not [LEXICON 3.11.1], is used to negate the second conjunct. In (b), the pronominal sign the-2 refers back to the two conjuncts introduced at the beginning of the sentence in order to negate the verb inside both.
hs
ht-left bl-b
a) teacher [cook food not][contra] [sandwich buy also.not][ipsi].
‘The teacher did not cook the food and (did not) buy a sandwich either.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 161)
ht-left ht-right re hs
b) marina meat[contra] [jordi fish][ipsi] the-2 eat not.
‘Marina does not eat meat and Jordi (does not eat) fish.’
(© Giorgia Zorzi 2018. Reprinted with permission from Zorzi, 2018b: 161)
As in (a) above, the non-manual marker headshake for negation can affect only the first conjunct. In order to make the second one negative, it is necessary to have a negative element also in the second one.