Nouns and Noun Phrases - University of Macau Library

1076 Syntax of Dutch: nouns and noun phrases
(60) a. Jan zal < ? het boek> morgen waarschijnlijk lezen.
Jan will the book tomorrow probably read
‘Jan will probably read the book tomorrow.’
b. Jan zal < ? het boek> thuis waarschijnlijk lezen.
Jan will the book at.home probably read
‘Jan will probably read the book at home.’
The behavior of definite pronouns differs markedly from that of definite noun
phrases; the pronoun must cross not only the clause adverb but also the higher
place/time adverb.
(61) a. Jan zal morgen waarschijnlijk lezen.
Jan will it tomorrow probably read
‘Jan will probably read the book tomorrow.’
b. Jan zal thuis waarschijnlijk lezen.
Jan will it at.home probably read
‘Jan will probably read the book at home.’
The contrast between the examples in (60) and (61) suggests that definite pronouns
must be moved into some more leftward position than definite noun phrases.
8.1.3.4. Clauses containing the negative adverb niet ‘not’
In clauses with a neutral intonation pattern, the negative adverb niet ‘not’
expressing sentential negation normally cannot be followed by a direct object. Since
niet can be followed by other types of constituents, like the PP-complement op zijn
vader in (62b), we cannot account for the fact that the noun phrase het boek must
precede the negation by assuming that the negative adverb niet and the verb are
somehow conflated; the fact that the PP-complement follows the negative adverb
suggests that the latter is external to the VP. If so, we must conclude that nominal
objects must be scrambled to a position in front of the negative adverb.
(62) a. Jan heeft niet gelezen.
Jan has the book not read
‘Jan didn’t read the book.’
b. Jan heeft waarschijnlijk niet op zijn vader gewacht.
Jan has probably not for his father waited
‘Probably, Jan didn’t wait for his father.’
Example (63a) shows that indefinite nominal objects can normally neither precede
nor follow the negative adverb; rather, they require that sentential negation be
expressed by means of the negative article geen ‘no’, as in (63b). Note that the
examples in (63a) are acceptable when een is stressed, in which case we are
probably dealing with the numeral één ‘one’; see 8.1.3.1, sub III, for similar data
with clause adverbs. The example with the nominal object preceding the negative
adverb then receives a specific interpretation, and the one with the nominal object
following the negative adverb receives a “not a single” reading. For a more
extensive discussion of the negative article geen and data of this sort, see Section
5.1.5.