The Bidirectional Optimal Explanation To Negative Polarity Sensitivity Of Indefinite Non-interrogative Pronouns

This paper concentrates on the study about the pragmatic reasons why indefinite non-interrogative pronouns have negative polarity sensitivity. When indefinite non-interrogative pronouns represent degree, quantity meaning, it and negative operator would make up a construction of litotes. This paper combines Optimality Theory with Relevance Theory and put forward a new Optimality-Relevance Pattern, remedying the disadvantage of lacking context analysis in Optimality Theory, to analyze effectively speakers’ rhetorical strategies when they use litotes, and hearers’ inferential strategies when they understand litotes. Furthermore, this paper makes use of payoff matrix of Game Theory to analyze speakers using litotes or saying straightforwardly would bring about different payoff under various contexts.Lin (1998), Li (1992) proved that indefinite non-interrogative pronouns which have negative polarity sensitivity only occur in NPI licensing contexts without affirmative contexts. However, through analyzing language materials, we discover that only when the indefinite non-interrogative pronouns indicate degree, quantity meaning, they have negative polarity sensitivity. For example:(1) The business can* (not) make us to make much money. ("*" outside the parentheses means the word inside the parentheses being indispensible)If indefinite non-interrogative pronouns don’t represent degree, quantity meaning, they can occur in affirmative contexts. For example:(2) When he came to the second floor, found the light was burning in the washroom, and new warrior JiaHao Duan holding something into his mouth. (People’s daily online)Litotes is a construction with pragmatic advantages. Litotes can bring added value of maintaining face to speakers. However, in realistic conversation, people don’t always use litotes to communicate, because litotes have pragmatic advantage but only in some contexts. In other contexts, speakers saying straightforwardly would bring more payoffs. According to the difference of payoffs which is made by speakers and hearers saying straightforwardly or litotes under various contexts, we can analyze effectively pragmatic appropriateness conditions of "negative word+indefinite non-interrogative pronouns expressing degree or quantity". In cooperative mode, if people both would like expression of vague information, litotes can achieve a win-win situation; if people both would like expression of clear information, saying straightforwardly can achieve a win-win situation. In non-cooperative mode, speakers and hearers are opposite, which one party wins and the other loses. Therefore, when expression of vague information gives speakers more profit, speakers prefer litotes; when expression of clear information gives speakers more profit, speakers prefer saying straightforwardly.Because litotes is an expression with pragmatic advantage in some contexts, through social groups’ imitation, categorization and conventionalization in cognitive structure, finally turn to a construction. Language usage of "negative word+ indefinite non-interrogative pronouns expressing degree or quantity" becomes conventionalization then acts on grammar construction in return. Indefinite non-interrogative pronouns indicating degree, quantity meaning gets used to combine with negative operator. Therefore, when the indefinite non-interrogative pronouns indicate degree, quantity meaning, they have negative polarity sensitivity.Innovations of this paper list as follows:1. This paper proof that only when the indefinite non-interrogative pronouns indicate degree, quantity meaning, they have negative polarity sensitivity, which make up effectively disadvantages of past studies.2. This paper builds up a new Optimality-Relevance Pattern, combining Optimality Theory with Relevance Theory to remedy the disadvantage of lacking context analysis in Optimality Theory, and put forward my own ideas about informative and quantity maxim in the cooperative principle.3. This paper makes use of payoff matrix of Game Theory to analyze litotes, which is a useful supplement for applying Game Theory to linguistics.The paper includes six sections:Chapter one:Introduction. There is a brief introduction to the polarity sensitivity, polarity phenomenon of indefinite non-interrogative pronouns. Explain the problem to be solved, significance, corpus sources and the overall arrangements for the chapter.Chapter two:Study Review. There is a brief introduction to the past studies about indefinite non-interrogative pronouns, commenting some paper which study negative polarity sensitivity about indefinite non-interrogative pronouns.Chapter three:Demonstrating when indefinite non-interrogative pronouns don’t represent degree or quantity meaning, whether they have negative polarity sensitivity or not.Chapter four:Making use of Optimality-Relevance Pattern to analyze litotes. From speaker’s perspective and hearer’s perspective, we can study speakers’ rhetorical strategies and hearers’ inferential strategies.Chapter five:By Game Theory to analyze which context would license a construction of "negative operator+ non-interrogative pronouns", to get more profit. By game matrix, we can make a comparative analysis about saying straightforwardly or litotes under cooperative and non-cooperative mode.Chapter six:Conclusion. Because language usage becomes conventionalization, indefinite non-interrogative pronouns which expressing degree or quantity has negative polarity sensitivity.