“Negación restrictiva y condición. El caso de hasta que”

The meaning of the preposition hasta (and the temporal connector hasta que), as well as the aspectual restrictions that imposes on the main verb and on the temporary complements that it selects have been the subject of numerous studies. Particular attention has been given to the so-called punctual hasta (que), restricted to negative sentences, and for whose explanation different hypotheses have been proposed. Nothing or very little has been written, however, on bicondicional meaning which often punctual hasta negative constructions assume. Starting with the alternative proposal of DECLERCK (1998) for the English preposition until, we will apply to Spanish the concept of exclusive-restrictive denial. The advantage of this interpretation is twofold. First, it is compatible with the theory of the existence of a single hasta with two different meanings: duration and location; secondly, it serves as a base to explain the conditional meaning associated with the punctual hasta que negative statements.