What is a negative conditional relation?

A negative conditional relation is a conditional relation

• in which the consequent is related to the opposite meaning of the antecedent, and

• that is marked on

  • the antecedent to carry the meaning equivalent to "unless," or
  • the consequent to carry the meaning equivalent to "otherwise."

• Unless it rains, we’ll have our picnic.

  Source:

  Thompson and Longacre 1985 196

• I was not informed; otherwise I should have taken some action.

  Source:

  Halliday and Hasan 1976 259

• What is a conditional relation?

Thompson and Longacre 1985 196

Dijk 1977 78–79

Halliday and Hasan 1976 259

Context for this page:

• Concept module: negative conditional relation
• In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): N
• In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
• In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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