Negative adjectives in language change (A02)

• Subject Area: General and Comparative Linguistics, Experimental Linguistics, Typology, Non-European Languages ; Applied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 509468465

The project focusses on German adjectives such as unaufhörlich 'incessant', unglaublich 'unbelievable', or unvergesslich 'unforgettable'. These adjectives are considered to be idiosyncrasies since their positive base either does not exist or is said to be rare or means something else. Nevertheless, their interpretation is still transparent. The word formation pattern is still productive as witnessed by unkaputtbar 'unbreakable'. We will trace the development of the adjectives from Old High German. Our historical perspective combined with formal semantic insights aims at understanding how negation develops from a free into a bound morpheme with a potentially more complex meaning.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1629: Negation in language and beyond (NegLaB)
• Applicant Institution: Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
• Project Heads: Dr. Cécile Meier, since 1/2024; Professor Dr. Helmut Weiß, since 1/2024