Van Linden Modal Adjectives

English Deontic and Evaluative Constructions in Diachrony and Synchrony
1. Auflage 2012
ISBN: 978-3-11-025294-1
Verlag: De Gruyter
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 75, 383 Seiten

Reihe: Topics in English Linguistics [TiEL]ISSN

The book revisits the notion of deontic modality from the perspective of an understudied category in the modal domain, viz. adjectives. On the basis of synchronic and diachronic corpus studies, it analyses the semantics of English adjectives like and , and uses this to refine traditional definitions of deontic modality, which are mainly based on the study of modal verbs.

In a first step, it is shown that the set of meanings expressed by extraposition constructions with deontic adjectives is quite different from the set of meanings identified in the literature on modal verbs. Adjectival complement constructions lack the directive meanings of obligation or permission, which are traditionally regarded as the core deontic categories, and they have semantic extensions towards non-modal meanings in the evaluative domain. In a second step, the analysis of adjectives is used to propose an alternative definition of deontic modality, which covers both the meanings of verbs and adjectives, and which can deal with the different extensions towards modal and non-modal categories. This is integrated into a conceptual map, which works both in diachrony, defining pathways of change from premodal to modal to evaluative meaning, and in synchrony, accommodating refinements within each set of meanings. In the process, this study points to the emergence of partially filled constructions, and it offers additional evidence for well-established changes in the history of English, such as the decline of the subjunctive and the rise of the -infinitive in complement constructions.

The book is of particular interest to researchers and graduate students with a focus on mood and modality, and the interface between syntax, semantics and pragmatics, as well as that between synchrony and diachrony.

Zielgruppe

Semanticists and Syntacticians working on Mood and Modality in En

Autoren/Hrsg.

Van Linden, An

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Einzelne Sprachen & Sprachfamilien
• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Historische & Vergleichende Sprachwissenschaft, Sprachtypologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Sprachwissenschaft Grammatik, Syntax, Morphologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Acknowledgements;5
2;List of tables;12
3;List of figures;17
4;Abbreviations;19
5;Introduction;21
6;Chapter 1 The notion of modality;31
6.1;1.1. Dynamic – deontic – epistemic modality: The basic categories;32
6.1.1;1.1.1. Dynamic modality;32
6.1.2;1.1.2. Deontic modality;36
6.1.3;1.1.3. Epistemic modality;40
6.1.4;1.1.4. Alternative organizations of the modal domain;41
6.2;1.2. Relations between the basic categories;47
6.2.1;1.2.1. Conceptual relations;47
6.2.2;1.2.2. Formal, diachronic and ontogenetic relations;52
6.3;1.3. Categories at the edges of modality;57
6.3.1;1.3.1. Mood;57
6.3.2;1.3.2. Volition;58
6.3.3;1.3.3. Rational modality;60
6.3.4;1.3.4. Evaluation;61
6.4;1.4. Conclusion;63
7;Chapter 2 Adjectives in the modal-evaluative domain;65
7.1;2.1. The adjectives studied: Weak versus strong;67
7.2;2.2. Constructions with adjectives: Conceptual types;72
7.2.1;2.2.1. Adjectives and dynamic modality;72
7.2.2;2.2.2. Adjectives and deontic modality;74
7.2.3;2.2.3. A reassessment of (deontic) modality;82
7.3;2.3. The conceptual map;87
8;Chapter 3 Data and methods of the diachronic analysis;97
8.1;3.1. The data;97
8.2;3.2. The corpora;100
8.3;3.3. Queries and glosses;105
9;Chapter 4 The semantic development of the adjectival matrix;107
9.1;4.1. The data: Latin and Romance loans;108
9.2;4.2. The semantic development of essential;109
9.3;4.3. The semantic development of vital;116
9.4;4.4. Essential and vital: A first pathway to deontic meaning;124
9.5;4.5. The semantic development of crucial;125
9.6;4.6. The semantic development of critical;131
9.7;4.7. Crucial and critical: A second pathway to deontic meaning;138
9.8;4.8. Adjectival pathways to deontic meaning;140
10;Chapter 5 The diachrony of the clausal complement patterns;146
10.1;5.1. The relation between matrix and complement;147
10.1.1;5.1.1. The development of the copular extraposition construction;149
10.1.2;5.1.2. Copular and transitive verb constructions in the conceptual map;155
10.2;5.2. The types of clausal complement;159
10.2.1;5.2.1. That-clauses;161
10.2.2;5.2.2. To-clauses;181
10.2.3;5.2.3. The distribution of that-clauses and to-clauses;200
10.3;5.3. Conclusion;213
11;Chapter 6 The diachrony of the complex constructions: The development of propositional complements;217
11.1;6.1. The construction types and data;218
11.2;6.2. Towards a synchronic functional description;220
11.2.1;6.2.1. The interaction between matrix and complement: Mandative versus propositional primary complements;220
11.2.2;6.2.2. The types of primary mandative and propositional complements;228
11.2.3;6.2.3. Secondary complements;235
11.3;6.3. Diachronic development of mandative complements;237
11.4;6.4. Diachronic development of propositional complements;241
11.4.1;6.4.1. The adjectives of importance;244
11.4.2;6.4.2. The adjectives of appropriateness;247
11.5;6.5. Summary and questions for further research;252
11.6;6.6. Conclusions from the diachronic analysis;256
12;Chapter 7 Data and methods of the synchronic synthesis and refinement;259
13;Chapter 8 Synchronic constructions: Refinements of the conceptual map;263
13.1;8.1. Non-modal evaluation;264
13.1.1;8.1.1. Mental focus on proposition;265
13.1.2;8.1.2. Genuine non-modal evaluative use;268
13.1.3;8.1.3. Specialized use;270
13.1.4;8.1.4. Locative use;273
13.1.5;8.1.5. Knowledge/acquisition of knowledge use;277
13.1.6;8.1.6. Conclusion;283
13.2;8.2. Bridging contexts;288
13.3;8.3. Deontic and dynamic modality;292
13.3.1;8.3.1. SoA-related and speaker-related deontic uses;293
13.3.2;8.3.2. Text-building use;297
13.3.3;8.3.3. Combined pattern of mental focus on proposition;299
13.3.4;8.3.4. Strong adjectives: The distinction between dynamic and deontic modality;308
13.3.5;8.3.5. SoA-related deontic expressions with weak adjectives;316
13.3.6;8.3.6. Conclusion;319
13.4;8.4. Directive meaning;323
13.5;8.5. Conclusion;329
14;Chapter 9 Conclusion;334
15;References;346
16;Author index;370
17;Subject index;373

Über Autor(innen)

An Van linden, University of Leuven, Belgium.