ERIC Number: EJ1483680
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Oct
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0142-7237
EISSN: EISSN-1740-2344
Available Date: 0000-00-00
The Road to Negation: A Comparative Study of Five Typologically and Culturally Diverse Languages
First Language, v45 n5 p596-621 2025
The acquisition of negation is a key milestone in early language development that enables children to express rejection, non-existence, and deny propositions. In this study, we ask whether the development of the functions of negation follows a universal trajectory or varies based on language-specific features and environmental input. We investigate the acquisition of negative functions in 10 children (age = 2;00-3;00) across five typologically maximally diverse languages: Chintang (Sino-Tibetan), English (Indo-European), Indonesian (Austronesian), Sesotho (Bantu), and Turkish (Turkic). Our findings reveal language-specific developmental trajectories within our sample. Notable differences include variations in the frequency of "denial" in child speech and "prohibition" in the ambient language. A strong correlation emerged between the presence of these negative functions in child-directed speech and their use by children. Across the five languages, children pre-dominantly use declarative negative sentences and begin gradually incorporating imperative forms into their repertoire of negative utterances over time. The emergence of negative questions occurs towards the end of age 2, but remains a minor component of children's negative expressions. The overall pattern observed in our maximum diversity sample highlights the significant role of child-directed input and cross-cultural variation in shaping the developmental trajectory of negative functions.
Descriptors: Toddlers, Child Language, Language Acquisition, Form Classes (Languages), Comparative Analysis, Language Universals, Cultural Context, Sino Tibetan Languages, Turkish, English, African Languages, Indonesian
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Institute for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution, University of Zurich, Switzerland; 2Department of Psychology, Koç University, Turkey

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