TY - JOUR
T1 - Dependencies between adverbs and sentence-final particles
T2 - A case of confirmative and non-confirmative modals in Cantonese
AU - Lee, Peppina Po lun
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s)
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - This study examines the evidentiality and epistemic modality of the Cantonese adverb mai6, the sentence-final particle (SFP) lo1, and the mai6…lo1 construction. I argue that mai6 functions as an inferential evidential, while lo1 expresses the speaker's epistemic attitude. Their co-occurrence in the mai6…lo1 construction highlights the overlap between epistemic modality and evidentiality, with epistemic modality being stronger and evidentiality weak. This pairing represents two type-matching modals with varying strengths. The unacceptability of mai6 occurring independently suggests that the distinction between confirmation and non-confirmation is crucial in determining the distribution of evidential adverbs and epistemic modals. To avoid double realisation of a single modality, confirmative modal SFPs act as strength manipulators, enhancing modal strength of their non-confirmative counterparts. The force of the non-confirmative type is then converted from weak to strong confirmation. Finally, confirmative SFPs vary in their levels of confirmation: strong confirmative SFPs can occur with non-confirmative morphemes or independently, while weak ones can only occur independently.
AB - This study examines the evidentiality and epistemic modality of the Cantonese adverb mai6, the sentence-final particle (SFP) lo1, and the mai6…lo1 construction. I argue that mai6 functions as an inferential evidential, while lo1 expresses the speaker's epistemic attitude. Their co-occurrence in the mai6…lo1 construction highlights the overlap between epistemic modality and evidentiality, with epistemic modality being stronger and evidentiality weak. This pairing represents two type-matching modals with varying strengths. The unacceptability of mai6 occurring independently suggests that the distinction between confirmation and non-confirmation is crucial in determining the distribution of evidential adverbs and epistemic modals. To avoid double realisation of a single modality, confirmative modal SFPs act as strength manipulators, enhancing modal strength of their non-confirmative counterparts. The force of the non-confirmative type is then converted from weak to strong confirmation. Finally, confirmative SFPs vary in their levels of confirmation: strong confirmative SFPs can occur with non-confirmative morphemes or independently, while weak ones can only occur independently.
KW - Cantonese
KW - Epistemic modals
KW - Evidentials
KW - Modal spread
KW - Modal strength manipulators
KW - Non-confirmative and confirmative modals
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85208766104&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.lingua.2024.103830
DO - 10.1016/j.lingua.2024.103830
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85208766104
SN - 0024-3841
VL - 312
JO - Lingua
JF - Lingua
M1 - 103830
ER -