Negation is understood here to mean the negation of the verbal predicate of a declarative sentence, excluding the negation of a noun phrase, negative pronouns, and negative adverbials. This parameter deals with negative morphemes.
Types:
NegAff: Negation of the predicate is expressed by a simple negative affix (prefix or suffix), also able to negate non-verbal constituents, attaching to the verb.
NegAffV: Negation of the predicate is expressed by a simple negative affix (prefix or suffix), only able to negate verbal constituents, attaching to the verb.
NegPtclNonStc: Negation of the predicate is expressed through the use of a standard negative word, which cannot function alone as a sentence.[1]
NegPtclStc: Negation of the predicate is expressed through the use of a standard negative word, which can also function alone as a sentence.
NegAux: Negation of the predicate is expressed through the use of an auxiliary verb[2], plus a form of the lexical verb[3].
NegW: Negation of the predicate is expressed through the use of a negative word of undefined word class; it is unclear whether it is an auxiliary or a particle.
TwinNeg: Negation of the predicate involves two-part negation[4], in which two negative morphemes both appear alongside the verb. This strategy may take the form of two affixes (a circumfix), two negative words, or the use of a negative word and an affix.[5]
When a language displays more than one type with equal frequency, two values can be listed. If one type is structurally dominant, a slash (/) can separate the two values, with the dominant value appearing first; if neither is dominant, the two are listed with an ampersand (&) separating the two.[6]
[1] For a negative word to be able to stand alone as a sentence, it should be a grammatical response to a polar question. Example: Are you hungry? No.
[2] Morphological and syntactic behavior should be examined to determine whether the negative word is an auxiliary. It is considered an auxiliary if (1) the negative word can only appear with the main verb and shows verbal inflection characteristic of the main verb in an affirmative sentence, or (2) it can stand alone as a negative sentence while maintaining its verbal inflection. For negative words that do not display verbal inflection, any of the following syntactic behavior should be observed: (1) the main verb does not appear in its affirmative form, or (2) it appears in a subordinate clause. If the verb does not display any of the described morphological or syntactic behavior, the language should be classified as NegW.
[3] This may be a morphologically modified or extended version of the affirmative verb or a participle. Some languages allow for multiple strategies. Either case should be detailed in the commentary.
[4] Indefinite negative pronouns should not be considered. See the parameter Use of indefinite negative pronouns for more on simple or double negation with respect to indefinite negative pronouns.
[5] This should be clarified in the textual description. In such cases, the parameter value of Order of negative morphemes should be NegVNeg.
[6] Standard written French, for example, displays the value TwinNeg (je ne mange pas), whereas spoken French displays multiple types: NegPtclNonStc/TwinNeg (je mange pas / je ne mange pas).