This chapter offers a contrastive analysis of the negative prefix iN- in Latin and Romance that shows that this element has undergone a reanalysis throughout the evolution. In particular, it is proposed that iN- has evolved from an adjunct to a categorizing affix, a change that partially fits the negative cycle ‘adjunct > specifier > head > affix’ (van Gelderen 2011). The proposed analysis builds, on the one hand, on Newell’s (2008) morphophonological approach to English negative prefixes; and, on the other hand, on De Clercq’s (2013) and De Clercq & Vanden Wyngaerd’s (2017) work on affixal negation. Alongside, the paper endeavors to show the advantages of using the Nanosyntax model when dealing with diachronic variation at the syntax-lexicon interface.
This chapter offers a contrastive analysis of the negative prefix iN- in Latin and Romance that shows that this element has undergone a reanalysis throughout the evolution. In particular, it is proposed that iN- has evolved from an adjunct to a categorizing affix, a change that partially fits the negative cycle ‘adjunct > specifier > head > affix’ (van Gelderen 2011). The proposed analysis builds, on the one hand, on Newell’s (2008) morphophonological approach to English negative prefixes; and, on the other hand, on De Clercq’s (2013) and De Clercq & Vanden Wyngaerd’s (2017) work on affixal negation. Alongside, the paper endeavors to show the advantages of using the Nanosyntax model when dealing with diachronic variation at the syntax-lexicon interface.