Evidentiality and modality in English : the theory and practice of establishing evidential constructions
This thesis discusses evidentiality and presents case studies of selected English verbal constructions that have evidential functions. The constructions have clear evidential functions, but each is problematic in terms of its diachronic development. Two have been the subject of some discussion in previous work: BE going to (e.g. Berglund and Williams 2007, Langacker 1998, Leech 1971, 2004, Nicolle 1997, 1998) and BE supposed to (e.g. Berkenfield 2006,Moore 2007, Noel and van der Auwera 2009, Traugott 1989, Visconti 2004, Zeigler 2003). The other, BE meant to, is in present day English a polysemous construction with a range of uses very similar to that of BE supposed to. The constructions are problematic in different ways and this thesis attempts to resolve those difficulties, applying the notion of analogy in each case. The thesis is framed in a Cognitive Linguistic and usage-based perspective (e.g. Bybee 1985, Croft 2000, Langacker 1987,2008). The thesis addresses three central questions. Firstly, it asks to what extent English can be said to have conventionalised evidential constructions, and how these compare to typical, i.e. morphological, evidential constructions in languages that have an evidential morphology
Disney, Stephen John
Evidentiality and modality in English : the theory and practice of establishing evidential constructions. This thesis discusses evidentiality and presents case studies of selected English verbal constructions that have evidential functions. The constructions have clear evidential functions, but each is problematic in terms of its diachronic development. Two have been the subject of some discussion in previous work: BE going to (e.g. Berglund and Williams 2007, Langacker 1998, Leech 1971, 2004, Nicolle 1997, 1998) and BE supposed to (e.g. Berkenfield 2006,Moore 2007, Noel and van der Auwera 2009, Traugott 1989, Visconti 2004, Zeigler 2003). The other, BE meant to, is in present day English a polysemous construction with a range of uses very similar to that of BE supposed to. The constructions are problematic in different ways and this thesis attempts to resolve those difficulties, applying the notion of analogy in each case. The thesis is framed in a Cognitive Linguistic and usage-based perspective (e.g. Bybee 1985, Croft 2000, Langacker 1987,2008). The thesis addresses three central questions. Firstly, it asks to what extent English can be said to have conventionalised evidential constructions, and how these compare to typical, i.e. morphological, evidential constructions in languages that have an evidential morphology
modality_english theory_practice establish evidential construction discus present case_study select english verbal construction evidential function construction clear evidential function problematic term diachronic development subject discussion previous_work williams leech suppose moore der meant present_day english polysemous construction range use similar suppose construction problematic different_way attempt_resolve difficulty apply notion analogy case frame cognitive_linguistic usage_based perspective address_three central_question firstly ask extent english say conventionalise evidential construction compare typical morphological evidential construction languages evidential morphology