Another Quantificational Variability Effect: The indefinite pronoun neemen ‘no one’ as a floating quantifier and as a negative adverb in Fering–Öömrang (North Frisian)

Abstract

In this paper some special uses of the indefinite pronoun neemen in Fering–Öömrang (North Frisian) are discussed. Alongside its normal use as a negative personal quantifier (‘no one’) this element can be employed as a floating quantifier (‘none of us/you/them) and as a negative adverb (‘never’ or ‘not (at all)’). In most cases, it is in fact ambiguous between a floating quantifier and an adverbial reading, whereby the latter seems to be contingent on the former. It will be argued that this ambiguity is an instance of Quantificational Variability. The case of Fering–Öömrang neemen thus links up the analyses of Quantificational Variability Effects and Quantifier Float and provides some evidence that both of these phenomena involve predicate modification.