The rise of multiple negation which bears negative concord can be explained in terms of the word order change from (S)XV having preverbal predicate negation to (S)VX having postverbal predicate negation in the history of English language. In a multiple negative sentence with V2 where a second negative adverb appears in the second stage of the Jespersen`s negative cycle, the first negator performs the grammatical function of focalization in the Spec of CP and the second one confirms the negative meaning in 1P. The linguistic circumstances in which ne.....na￣/no￣>na￣ht/no￣ht was preferred to ne seem to be closely related to the grammatical function of focalization which was realized in the syntactic structure of V2. The head C in V2 word order has a focus feature as the uninterpretable EPP-feature of OCC, and this feature induces the operation Agree that is accompanied by the internal Merge of a focus element. It is widely recognized that the negator ne in CP has come to be weak and cliticized, but it is still treated as an independent constituent in the multiple negative sentences with V2.

• 박상수 | Park Sang Su