Much of the literature on modality focuses, at least implicitly, on the occurrence of single modal auxiliaries. However, cross-linguistically, modal auxiliaries can co-occur with one another, but under interesting restrictions. This thesis examines layered modal constructions and the semantic restrictions under which they combine. For instance, in languages such as Croatian, where double modal constructions are part of the standard, data shows that while some combinations are acceptable, others are not. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to identify these semantic restrictions and to explain the rationale that motivates them. To answer these questions, a systematic study of four possible combinations (epis- temics embedding epistemics, epistemics embedding non-epistemics, non-epistemics embedding non-epistemics, and non-epistemics embedding epistemics) was carried out. The data shows that the first three groups are, in general, acceptable to native speakers, while the last one is not. Further to that, the data shows that within the non-epistemic + non-epistemic group there seem to be further restrictions. The result was a hierarchical analysis that is based on modal force and flavour. With respect to force, it is shown in Chapter 4 that necessity embeds possibility, crucially, only when two of the same flavour combine. In terms of flavour, the data shows that epistemics can embed non-epistemics, while in the non-epistemic group priority embeds the circumstantial group in which pure possibility embeds ability and disposition, respectively. This analysis carries some important implications for the traditional categorisation of modal flavours which is discussed in Chapter 4. Finally, in Chapter 5 I also discuss the possible rationale behind the hierarchy and the compositional nature of DMCs. It is concluded that the hierarchy should not be taken as a merely descriptive generalisation, but rather as an analysis that is predictable on the basis of the conceptual and logical reality of human language.

This thesis explores certain aspects of the structure of lexical semantics and its interaction with pragmatic processes of utterance comprehension, using as a case-study a sample of the English modal verbs. Contrary to previous polysemy-based accounts, I propose and defend a unitary semantic account of the English modals, and I give a relevance-theoretic explanation of the construction of their admissible (mainly, root and epistemic) contextual interpretations. Departing from previous accounts of modality, I propose a link between epistemic modality and metarepresentation, and treat the emergence of epistemic modal markers as a result of the development of the human theory of mind. In support of my central contention that the English modals are semantically univocal, I reanalyse a range of arguments employed by previous polysemy-based approaches. These arguments involve the distributional properties of the modals, their relationship to truth-conditional content, the status of so-called speech-act modality, and the historical development of epistemic meanings: it turns out that none of these domains can offer reasons to abandon the univocal semantic analysis of the English modals. Furthermore, I argue that the priority of root over epistemic meanings in language acquisition is predicted by the link between epistemic modality and metarepresentation. Finally, data from a cognitive disorder (autism) are considered in the light of the metarepresentation hypothesis about epistemic modality. The discussion of modality has a number of implications for the concept of polysemy. I suggest that, despite its widespread use in current lexical semantics, polysemy is not a natural class, and use the example of the Cognitive Linguistics to illustrate that polysemy presupposes some questionable assumptions about the structure of lexical concepts. I propose a division of labour between ambiguity, semantic underdeterminacy, and a narrowed version of polysemy, and present its ramifications for the psychology of word meaning. In the final chapter, I extend the proposed framework for modality to the analysis of generic sentences, thereby capturing certain similarities between genericity and modality.

This paper analyses the use of modal auxiliaries in an investment fund prospectus and how they are translated into Swedish. The semantics of modal auxiliaries is a rather fuzzy area. One modal verb such as may or will can have several different meanings, depending on the textual and situational context. Correctly interpreting the modal verbs is an important prerequisite for an accurate translation. A theoretical background founded on linguistic studies and grammatical presentations by Palmer (2001), Huddleston and Pullum (2002), Coates (1983), Teleman et al. (1999) and Wärnsby (2006) and others, provides a framework for analysing the meanings of the modal verbs in the source text and determining the most equivalent expressions in the Swedish modal system. Different types of modality, such as epistemic, deontic and dynamic, are discussed, along with the different textual and situational factors associated with each type. The analysis includes the most frequent modal auxiliaries found in the source text, namely (in the order of frequency from high to low) may, will, should, can, shall and must. Each modal verb is analysed in terms of its meanings and possible Swedish translations are discussed. One interesting aspect highlighted in the study is the close relationship between modality and futurity, which is particularly true for will. Due to the nature of the source text as a legal contract between the investment fund and the investors, the use of modal verbs specific to legal register is also considered in the analysis. The analysis shows that an awareness of the various factors associated with different types of modality and the linguistic features typical for the particular text type can help the translator correctly interpret and translate the modal verbs as accurately and consistently as possible.

This dissertation examines the role of modal verbs and rhetoric in the creation of Shakespeare's comic action. I argue that by focusing on the characters' uses of language in these plays, we can recover a sense of subjectivity and agency for Shakespeare's comic characters, instead of treating them as mere "types" swept along by the force of comic convention. Modal verbs--"can," "may," "must," "ought," and "will"--encode and enact subjectivity at the linguistic level, demonstrating a speaker's perceptions about the action of the main verb: whether a speaker thinks an action is possible or impossible, likely or unlikely, necessary or merely beneficial. Modal verbs therefore indicate an entirely different category of comic action: not just the oversized action of mistaken identity or farce, but the more subtle mental activity that underpins all subsequent action. Likewise, an examination of Shakespeare's comic rhetoric reveals that, far from being inconsequential or merely decorative, it is a force in its own right; I argue that the characters' insistence on the overt use of rhetorical devices, wordplay, and logical debate is a form of action that creates the comic world. Characters use strategies derived from logic and rhetoric in order to persuade themselves and others into positive action, achieving comic endings by verbal means.

This dissertation deals with semantics of modality in general and semantics of the Norwegian modal verbs in particular. My lead-off assumption is that modality deals with people’s attitude towards the trustworthiness of propositions (epistemic attitude) and the presence or absence of obstacles for a state of affairs to occur (non-epistemic attitude). I distinguish between neutral and non-neutral attitude on the one hand and between simple and complex attitude on the other. Neutral attitude means that, in the speaker’s view (or someone else’s view, if the speaker is reporting others’ attitude), there are no obstacles to accept a proposition as correct or a state of affairs as likely to occur. However, the speaker may equally accept that the same proposition may turn out to be incorrect, or the same state of affairs may turn out not to be worth to occur. In either case, no conflict will arise between the speaker’s beliefs (expectations) and the reality. Non-neutral attitude means that the speaker only is willing to accept a proposition as correct, or a state of affairs as likely to occur. If the proposition turns out to be incorrect, or the state of affairs turns out not to be likely to occur, a conflict arises between the speaker’s beliefs (expectations) and reality. At the same time, the speaker may signal that other participants may have different attitudes than her own, which does not mean that the speaker is unsure about her own attitude. I use the terms simple and... [to full text] / Šioje disertacijoje tyrinėjama modalumo semantika, ypatingą dėmesį skiriant norvegų kalbos modaliniams veiksmažodžiams. Modalumas suvokiamas kaip kategorija, susijusi su žmonių požiūriu į propozicijų tikėtinumą (episteminis požiūris) ir į kliūčių įvykiams įvykti ar situacijoms susiklostyti buvimą ar nebuvimą (neepisteminis požiūris). Išskiriami, viena vertus, neutralus ir neneutralus požiūris, ir, kita vertus, paprastas ir kompleksinis požiūris. Terminas paprastas požiūris vartojamas kalbant apie atvejus, kai kalbėtojas posakyje tik išreiškia vieną požiūrį, nesudarymas prielaidų manyti, kad egzistuoja ir kitokių požiūrių galimybė. Terminas kompleksinis požiūris vartojamas kalbant apie atvejus, kai kalbėtojas, išreikšdamas vieną požiūrį, sykiu leidžia manyti, kad galima turėti ir kitokį, alternatyvų požiūrį. Neutralus požiūris visada būna paprastas, o neneutralus gali būti arba paprastas, arba kompleksinis. Toliau disertacijoje šis modelis pritaikomas norvegų kalbos modalinius veiksmažodžių KUNNE, MÅTTE, SKULLE, VILLE ir BURDE semantiniam aprašui. Esamojo laiko forma kan dažniausiai vartojama neutraliam požiūriui išreikšti, o esamojo laiko formos må, skal ir vil dažniausiai vartojamos paprastam neneutraliam požiūriui išreikšti. Ir esamojo laiko forma bør, ir būtojo laiko (preterito) forma burde dažniausiai vartojamos kompleksiniam neneutraliam požiūriui reikšti. Būtojo laiko formos skulle ir ville gali būti pavartojamos ne temporaline reikšme, transformuojant paprastą... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Šioje disertacijoje tyrinėjama modalumo semantika, ypatingą dėmesį skiriant norvegų kalbos modaliniams veiksmažodžiams. Modalumas suvokiamas kaip kategorija, susijusi su požiūriu į propozicijų tikėtinumą (episteminis požiūris) ir kliūčių buvimą ar nebuvimą įvykiams įvykti ar situacijoms susiklostyti (neepisteminis požiūris). Išskiriami, viena vertus, neutralus ir neneutralus požiūris, ir, kita vertus, paprastas ir kompleksinis požiūris. Terminas paprastas požiūris vartojamas kalbant apie atvejus, kai kalbėtojas posakyje tik išreiškia vieną požiūrį, nesudarymas prielaidų manyti, kad egzistuoja ir kitokių požiūrių galimybė. Terminas kompleksinis požiūris vartojamas kalbant apie atvejus, kai kalbėtojas, išreikšdamas vieną požiūrį, sykiu leidžia manyti, kad galima turėti ir kitokį, alternatyvų požiūrį. Neutralus požiūris visada būna paprastas, o neneutralus požiūris gali būti arba paprastas, arba kompleksinis. Toliau disertacijoje šis modelis pritaikomas norvegų kalbos modalinių veiksmažodžių KUNNE, MÅTTE, SKULLE, VILLE ir BURDE semantiniam aprašui. Esamojo laiko forma kan dažniausiai vartojama neutraliam požiūriui išreikšti, o esamojo laiko formos må, skal ir vil dažniausiai vartojamos paprastam neneutraliam požiūriui išreikšti. Ir esamojo laiko forma bør, ir būtojo laiko (preterito) forma burde dažniausiai vartojamos kompleksiniam neneutraliam požiūriui reikšti. Būtojo laiko formos skulle ir ville gali būti pavartojamos ne temporaline reikšme, transformuojant paprastą... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This dissertation deals with semantics of modality in general and semantics of the Norwegian modal verbs in particular. My starting point is the assumption that modality deals with people’s attitude towards the trustworthiness of propositions (epistemic attitude) and the presence or absence of obstacles for states of affairs to occur (non-epistemic attitude). I distinguish between neutral and non-neutral attitude on the one hand and between simple and complex attitude on the other. The terms simple and complex attitude are used to distinguish between cases where the speaker in her utterance expresses only one attitude without admitting any alternative attitudes (simple), and cases where she expresses one attitude at the same time as she signals in the same utterance that other participants may have a different attitude towards the status of the target of attitude (complex). Neutral attitude is always simple, while non-neutral attitude may be either simple or complex. Then I apply this model on the Norwegian modal verbs KUNNE, MÅTTE, SKULLE, VILLE and BURDE. I argue that the present tense form kan typically expresses neutral attitude, while the present tense forms må, skal and vil typically express non-neutral simple attitude. Both the present tense form bør and the preterite form burde typically express non-neutral complex attitude. The preterite forms skulle and ville may be used with non-temporal meaning, to transform a non-neutral simple attitude into complex attitude.

This thesis argues for a semi-lexical interpretation of Czech modal verbs. It demonstrates that Czech modals participate in syntactic structures that contain a finite verb followed by multiple infinitives (verb clusters), such as Jan musel chtít začít studovat lingvistiku ‘John had to want to begin studying linguistics.’ The term Complex Verbal Domain (CVD) is devised for the verbal part of these structures. The analysis seeks to offer a unified account of modal verbs in Czech in respect of their subcategorization frame in the Lexicon and semantic properties (‘modal meaning’). It also attempts to clarify the confusion regarding modal verbs and modality in traditional Czech grammars by shifting the attention from pragmatics to an approach based on recent development of generative syntax (Chomsky 1998, 2000, 2001). Following the examination of syntactic behaviour of Czech modals in the CVD structure, the thesis proceeds to modify Emonds’ (1985, 2000) theory of semilexicality. This approach assumes that Czech modals are neither fully functional (due to properties such as rich morphological paradigm, ability to undergo Negation, Reflexivization and PF movement), nor fully lexical (they are unable to take clausal complements and distinguish between aspectual pairs). The semi-lexical analysis also shows that there is evidence for the existence of two types of Czech modals, True modal verbs (TMVs) and Optional modal verbs (OMVs). Whilst the former cannot nominalize or denote events, but are able to convey epistemic meaning, the latter undergo nominalization and are capable of event denotation, but do not attain epistemic reading. The semi-lexical properties of both TMVs and OMVs are syntactically reflected in their specific subcategorization frame X, +MODAL, +mod, +__ [V, INF]. The cognitive syntactic feature +MODAL cospecifies the syntactic derivation of Czech modal verbs in the ‘light’ vº, which takes an infinitival VP as a complement. Therefore, I argue that the CVD is syntactically vP. If the original CVD structure involves multiple infinitives (Jan vPmusí VPchtít(INF) začít(INF) číst(INF) tu knihu ‘John has to want to begin reading that book’), the VP complement has characteristics of a flat structure, adapted from Emonds (1999a, 1999b, 2001). On the other hand, +mod is a semantic feature that specifies the lexical behaviour of Czech modals and conveys the ‘modal meaning’, which is formalized in terms of possible worlds semantics as quantification over the modal base. The semi-lexical analysis also investigates the root v. epistemic dichotomy. The thesis argues that this dichotomy does not affect the unified theory of modality in Czech in terms of its derivational and semantic status, but is a result of covert processes at the level of Logical Form (LF), which realize different levels of modal quantification.

國立政治大學英國語文學系在職碩士班 碩士論文提要 論文名稱：高中生英文作文中情態助動詞使用之分析 指導教授：尤雪瑛博士 研究生：張翠杏撰 論文提要內容： 本研究旨在分析高中生在英文作文中使用情態助動詞之情形，並就學生使用情態助動詞之困難加以研究，以期能了解學生困難之所在並加以解決。 本研究採用質與量的分析方法。質的分析包括： (一) 情態助動詞之意義與功能； (二) 學生誤用情態助動詞之情形； (三) 影響學生誤用情態助動詞之原因。量的分析則重在研究： (一) 學生使用各個情態助動詞之頻率； (二) 學生最容易誤用之情態助動詞之頻率。 本研究結果如下：學生最常使用的情態助動詞為can和will，這兩者也最容易被誤用，學生除了會把各個情態助動詞互相替換使用之外，也會在不需要情態助動詞的情形下使用情態助動詞。造成學生誤用情態助動詞原因包括： (一) 學生誤解不同情態助動詞的用法，而把一種用法運用在其他情態助動詞上； (二) 學生把情態助動詞的用法簡化； (三) 學生受到固定用語的影響； (四) 學生受到母語的影響直接把中文翻譯成英文。 本研究最後提出在英語教學上的建議：在課堂上教授情態助動詞時，除了將各個情態助動詞不同的用法呈現，還必須比較各個情態助動詞之間相近的用法，再把這些情態助動詞放在不同的情境中呈現它們在現實生活中真正的用法與意義，期使學生能學到情態助動詞正確的用法。 / ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to analyze the use of modal verbs in students’ compositions and to understand students’ difficulty in learning and using modal verbs. Modal verbs’ surface forms and grammatical characteristics are very easy for students to remember. However, their complicated meanings and usages are somewhat difficult. This study adopts qualitative and quantitative analyses. The qualitative analysis includes: (1) the meanings and functions of modal verbs, (2) students’ misuse of modal verbs, and (3) the reasons that affect students’ misuse of modal verbs. The quantitative analysis includes: (1) the frequency of the use of every modal verb in students’ compositions, and (2) the frequency of the misuse of modal verbs. The results of this study are summarized as follows: the most often used modal verbs are can and will. Students tend to use wrong modal verbs or add modal verbs to sentences that don’t need one. The reasons affecting students’ misuse of modal verbs are: (1) students’ misunderstanding of the use of modal verbs, (2) students’ oversimplification of the meanings and functions of modal verbs, (3) the effect of frozen idiomatic expressions, and (4) the effect of students’ native languages. Finally, the study provides pedagogical suggestions and implications in teaching modal verbs. First, subtle usages and meanings of modal verbs should be presented. Second, they should be taught in different contexts. Third, apply pragmatics to the teaching of modal verbs. The goal is to help students learn authentic usages of modal verbs.

本論文試圖經由檢視過去對於漢語情態動詞的研究，找出最適合稱為「情態動詞」的十二個情態動詞，並以此為基礎建立適合漢語情態動詞的語意分類方式：主要分三大類—動力情態、義務情態、認知情態。同時也從共時與歷時的角度檢視漢語裡的五個多義情態動詞，包括會、能、要、可以、應該。研究發現這五個多義情態動詞所顯現的多義都是極度相關的。首先，五個多義情態動詞都有以上三大類的情態意義，其中又以動力情態為中心意義。此外，本研究確立多義情態動詞的發展方向與階段，由動力情態延伸出來的義務情態是透過主觀化的認知機制(Traugott 1980)，之後，由義務情態發展出來的認知情態則是由於主觀化與隱喻(Sweetser 1990)的運作。最後，本文也探討了情態與句法的互動關係。 / The purpose of this study is to reveal the relationship among polysemous modal verbs in Mandarin Chinese (hui4, neng2, yao4, ke3yi3, ying1gai1). It is found that the multiple modal senses encoded in the five polysemous modal verbs are closely-related. Through a careful examination on both synchronic and diachronic data of the five polysemous modal verbs, it is suggested that each of them exhibit three major modality types, including dynamic (ability, volition), deontic (directive, commissive), and epistemic (judgmental) modalities. At Stage I of the path of development, dynamic modality, as the core meaning of polysemous modal verbs, is extended to deontic modality through the cognitively-driven mechanism—subjectification, which is proposed by Traugott (1989). Then, epistemic modality is developed from deontic modality at Stage II through both subjectification and metaphorization (Sweetser 1990). After determining the direction and stages of the development path of the five polysemous modal verbs, a feature-based classification for modality types of Chinese modal verbs is provided in order to incorporate the differences and similarities among the three modality types (dynamic, deontic, and epistemic modalities). Finally, the interaction between modalities and other syntactic elements (predicates and arguments) is discussed with examples.

This dissertation analyzes undertheorized grammatical and linguistic details of Shakespeare’s language. Using tools derived from the fields of linguistics, pragmatics, and discourse analysis, I trace the ways that Shakespeare’s speakers represent themselves in language, and how they position themselves relative to their interlocutors. Grounding my study in a selection of Shakespeare’s works in which questions of self-positioning are particularly fraught, I argue that the nuances of grammar that undergird the linguistic performance of Shakespeare’s speakers encode significant clues about interaction and interpersonal relationships. I maintain that the minute details of linguistic encounters, easily overlooked words such as modal verbs (particularly shall and will) and deictic markers (words such as I, this, and now), hold important information about speakers’ perceptions of themselves, their interlocutors, and their environment. Attention to such details, and to charged moments of linguistic encounter in which speakers must negotiate their modes of self-positioning, helps to illuminate the troubled processes of self-representation and changing self-perception. Chapter one focuses on Shakespeare’s sonnets, and suggests that these poems provide a productive model for the examination of the nuances of speech and interactive dialogue. I anchor my discussion in the particular resonance of the word shall in the sonnets, and explore the ways in which the sonnet speaker attempts to preserve linguistic control relative to a threatening interlocutor. The second chapter extends these concerns to consider how the speakers of Troilus and Cressida respond to a wide network of potentially threatening interlocutors. In this chapter, I focus on linguistic encounters such as arguments and gossip to examine the risks that speakers encounter when they enter the fray of communal discourse. My third chapter turns to Coriolanus to consider moments of aggressive linguistic collisions, in which speakers vie for the right to speak a potent and contested word such as shall. The fourth and final chapter analyzes Richard II through the frame of deictic markers and grammatical modes of self-reference to consider the protective strategies afforded by language in moments of crisis.