Particle responses to negated assertions : Preference patterns for German ja and nein ∗

The present study focusses on German polarity particles as responses to negative assertions. In such responses, the German response particles ja and nein are not used complementarily − similarly to their roughly corresponding English counterparts yes and no. Rather it seems that both ja and nein can be used to affirm a negative antecedent (e.g. A: Jim doesn’t snore. B: Ja./Nein. (=He doesn’t snore)). In a series of acceptability judgement experiments, we tested the predictions of two recent theoretical accounts (Krifka 2013 and Roelofsen and Farkas 2015). For affirming responses to negative assertions, both accounts predict a default preference for nein over ja. However, our experimental results revealed two subgroups of participants. A majority of approx. 70% showed a preference for ja over nein. The other subgroup showed a preference for nein over ja. To explain this finding, we consider modified versions of both accounts.