On the Neg-criterion in Hungarian

This paper discusses several aspects of Hungarian sentential negation. On the premises that the NEG-criterion applies at S-structure in Hungarian, I show that the NEG-criterion does represent a coherent and adequate explanatory tool to understand Hungarian negation. After establishing the motivation for a functional projection FP outside the predicational part of the sentence, as a component of CP, I show that instances of the Affect criterion, like the Focus criterion and the WH-criterion also apply at S-structure in Hungarian and account very adequately for the behaviour of non-negative quantificational elements. I propose a structure which integrates the functional projection NegP and I show that the structure I adopt has the advantage of taking into account, in addition to Hungarian adult data, acquisition data. I also show that the NEG-criterion applies at S-structure in Hungarian. The paper also discusses negative phrases. I argue that they are not negative polarity items, but intrinsically negative elements, and that the NEG-criterion applies fully at S-structure in these cases as well