Abstract
This volume presents a new edition of Otto Jespersen's landmark 1917 study of negation in English and other languages, primarily Germanic and Romance. While best known for describing what would later be called “Jespersen's Cycle'”, this work offers far more: a comprehensive analysis of negative expressions, their forms, functions, and historical development. The book examines topics ranging from negative prefixes to the distinction between special and nexal negation, supported by Jespersen's characteristically rich collection of authentic examples. This edition features an extensive new introduction by Olli O. Silvennoinen that situates Jespersen's work in its historical and intellectual context while highlighting its continued relevance to contemporary linguistics. The main text has been entirely re-typeset to enhance readability, with examples presented in modern numbered format and Leipzig-style glosses added for non-English examples. Where possible, hyperlinks to source materials have been provided, making this classic work more accessible than ever for modern scholars and students of linguistics.
Keywords
NegationLinguisticsComputer scienceProgramming languagePhilosophy
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Publication Info
- Year
- 2025
- Type
- book
- Citations
- 1628
- Access
- Closed
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Otto Jespersen
(2025).
Negation in English and other languages.
.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14843486
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.5281/zenodo.14843486