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OverviewThis book is a cross-linguistic exploration of semantic and functional change in modal markers. Its approach is broadly functional typological but makes frequent reference to work in formal semantics by scholars such as Angelika Kratzer and Paul Portner. The author starts by considering what modality is and how it relates to and differs from subjectivity. He argues that modality cannot be defined in terms of subjectivity: both concepts are independent of each other, the first exhibiting different degrees of subjectivity, and the second being operative in a much wider range of grammatical and lexical categories. Subjectivity, he suggests, should not be defined solely in terms of performativity, evidentiality, or construal, but rather from the interplay of multiple semantic and pragmatic factors. He then presents a two-dimensional model for the descriptive representation of modality, based on the notion that among the many aspects of modal meaning, volitivity and speech-act-orientation versus event-orientation are two of its most salient parameters. He shows that it is especially the dimension of speech-act orientation versus event-orientation, parallel to category climbing in syntax, that is operative in diachronic change. Numerous examples of diachronic change within modality and between modality and other categories are then examined with respect to their directionality. With a focus on Japanese and to a lesser extent Chinese the book is a countercheck to hypotheses built on the Indo-European languages. It also contains numerous illustrations from other languages. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Heiko Narrog (GSICS, Tohoku University)Publisher: Oxford University Press Imprint: Oxford University Press Dimensions: Width: 16.40cm , Height: 2.50cm , Length: 23.90cm Weight: 0.684kg ISBN: 9780199694372ISBN 10: 0199694370 Pages: 348 Publication Date: 19 July 2012 Audience: Professional and scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: To order Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us. Table of ContentsReviewsA fresh perspective on modality that is essential reading for anyone working on modality amd semantic changes in modals. * Elizabeth Closs Traugott, Stanford University * A fresh perspective on modality that is essential reading for anyone working on modality amd semantic changes in modals. Elizabeth Closs Traugott, Stanford University Author InformationHeiko Narrog is Associate Professor of Linguistics at Tohoku University. His publications include Modality in Japanese (Benjamins 2009); and, with Bernd Heine, The Oxford Handbook of Linguistic Analysis (OUP 2010) and The Oxford Handbook of Grammaticalization (OUP 2011). Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |