Question

Explain why expressions containing "not" and affixes such as "-less" may not indicate any autoclitic activity in a given instance.

a) Autoclitic activity is always present when using such expressions.
b) These expressions are inherently reflexive and require no autoclitic activity.
c) Autoclitic activity is only present when the speaker is conscious of their use of "not" or "-less."
d) These expressions are exclusively used in metaphorical or metonymical contexts, avoiding autoclitic activity.

Answer 1

Expressions containing 'not' and '-less' may or may not indicate autoclitic activity, depending on the context. Autoclitic activity is present when the speaker is conscious of its use, but it can also be used unconsciously.

Step-by-step explanation:

Autoclitic activity refers to the process of adding meaningful words or morphemes to a sentence to modify its meaning. Expressions containing 'not' and affixes such as '-less' may or may not indicate autoclitic activity, depending on the context. In some cases, autoclitic activity is present when using such expressions; for example, when a speaker consciously adds 'not' to a sentence to indicate negation or '-less' to indicate absence.

However, in other cases, these expressions may be used without the speaker being consciously aware of their autoclitic function. For instance, in the phrase 'harmless insect,' the affix '-less' is used to indicate the absence of harm without the speaker consciously thinking about it as an autoclitic activity.