The Variability of the Category of Negation in Linguistics

Abstract

Negation expresses the non-existence of something in objective reality. The category of negation can be examined both logically and grammatically. Accordingly, this category is studied within both the field of logic and that of linguistics. While the logical foundation of negation is universal across all languages, the grammatical means by which it is expressed are highly diverse. Logical negation refers to negative judgments, whereas grammatical negation is typically expressed through sentences using a variety of tools. In linguistics, negation is primarily considered in the interaction between contentand form–in particular, the relationship between sentence structure and the meaning it conveys.