A SHORT NOTE ON ENGLISH LONG AND THE WHY OF NEGATIVE POLARITY

Abstract

English bare long appears to be a negative polarity item. But a more revealing way to think of it is to say that bare long just needs something to be present that can carry it along, within its containing DP, to a pre-indefinite article position. Negation is one such something; degree words are another. Bare long differs in this respect from a long time, with a long time showing no need for either negation or a degree word. The reason is that a long time contains no silent TIME in need of licensing. The apparent negative polarity character of bare long is a side effect of its containing TIME.