Expletive

The term expletive is used in a number of different ways:

• in nontechnical usage, it refers to a rude word (such as bloody or fucking); see expletive infixation;
• in syntax, expletive noun phrase is used for an NP that has no semantic role (e.g. it in it rained);
• expletive negation is sometimes used for a negative marker that has no negative sense (e.g. French je crains qu'elle ne vient 'I fear that she comes')

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