Abstract:

The aim of this paper is to investigate the morphosyntax of verbal negation and the syntactic behavior of the pseudo verbs ʕind (at - have), and maʕ (with -have) when they undergo negation in Rural Jordanian Arabic (RJA). Based on the analysis of naturally occurring data in RJA, this study reveals that the diffusion of negation varies according to the position of the negative particles and the negated component. In perfective aspects, both ma and ma-… iš can achieve the negation. Apart from the perfective verbs and the pseudo-verb ʕind, -iš can perform the negation alone without the particle ma- with all other verbs and pseudo-verbs. From a syntactic perspective, the negative particle ma- fills the position of the NegP when it negates perfect verbs. As a result, there is no need for the verb to raise to NegP and carry the negative particle to raise Asp. Furthermore, the discontinuous negation ma-…... iš fills the position of the NegP, the verb combines with head of NegP, they all finally raise to T. 

Keywords: