| Kommentar |
In linguistics, modality is a semantic category of meaning which, generally speaking, modifies the meaning of an utterance in a particular way. It does so by expressing various relationships to reality or truth, such as possibility, likelihood, desirability or necessity. One of the ways in which modality can be expressed is through the use of modal auxiliaries, i.e. modal verbs: can, may, must, will etc. However, modality is not only expressed through modal auxiliaries; on the other hand, modal auxiliaries can also express non-modal meanings. In this course, we will take a closer look at the concept of modality and, besides modal auxiliaries, focus on other language means used to express it: semi-modals, modal adjectives and adverbs, modal nouns, modal idioms, conditionals and lexical verbs. We will also explore the interconnectedness of concepts of modality, evidentiality, and politeness. Finally, we will have a look at synchronic and diachronic variations of modals verbs, across different registers, genres, media, and in discourse. |
