SYNTAX OF NEGATIVE MARKERS IN IGBO AND ENGLISH LANGUAGES

Abstract

This paper examines negation in Igbo and English languages. It discusses how negative markers are formed and investigates the nature of negative markers in the languages. To achieve its aim, previous literatures related to the study were reviewed. The paper adopts the Transformational Generative Grammar as its framework. The data gathered were analysed using descriptive approach. The study reveals that negation exists in both Igbo and English and that negation is a formation that opposes the semantic representation of a constituent. The morphemic constituents for forming negative markers in Igbo are –ghi, beghi, and English has not, non-, and un- or no –sentence. Negative markers are discontinuous in nature. The study concludes that the morphemic environment a verb finds itself determines the morpheme it loses to be aligned with its negator in Igbo.