On the controversial origins of non-canonical Spanish and Portuguese negation: Case closed?

Abstract

This study offers a response to Sessarego's (2017a) article on the controversial origins of Chocó Spanish (Colombia) predicate negation, whose non-canonical pattern NEG+VERB+(…) NEG is not currently found in any variety of standard Spanish. Taking a decidedly comparative approach that avails itself of analogous data from vernacular Brazilian Portuguese, Palenquero creole (Colombia), and Dominican Spanish, this study aims to elucidate Sessarego's fresh evidence, and point out areas where the argumentation is not entirely airtight. In particular, it will put into question his claim that hitherto overlooked double (embracing) negation patterns in European Spanish (15th to 20th centuries) constitute the missing genetic link to the observed non-canonical Chocó double negation.This study will argue instead that an appeal to extensive sub-Saharan input during colonial times continues to offer a more likely scenario for the genesis in the Americas of non-canonical constructions such Chocoan/Dominican no hablo alemán no, Brazilian eu não falo alemão não, and Palenquero i nu ta ablá alemán nu, all denoting ‘I don’t speak German (contrary to what one might think)’. Determining the true source(s) — European or African (or both?)? — of these and related negation structures has weighty implications for the larger question of the genesis of New World (1) Spanish, (2) Portuguese, and (3) Palenquero in general.