Abstract
Based on corpus data and acceptability judgment tests, this paper claims that epistemic modals yinggai (应该) and ke'neng (可能) can occur in combined forms as either yinggai ke'neng or ke'neng yinggai. Excluding the elusiveness of objective/subjective modality by linguistic diagnostics, this paper distinguishes ke'neng on two levels: the propositional ke'neng modifying the possibility of a proposition and the illocutionary ke'neng modifying the speaker's commitment strength. The former is used in yinggai ke'neng and the latter in ke'neng yinggai. As for yinggai, there are two indications based on normality judgments and the notion of ideal world. The yinggai in yinggai ke'neng suggests the truth value of p＞0 in ideal worlds whereas the one in ke'neng yinggai indicates the truth value of p = 1 with stronger commitment strength of the speaker. By examining the interaction between ke'neng and yinggai in combined forms as well as their semantic contribution, the paper sheds light on the complexity of the formation of modal stacking.
| Translated title of the contribution | Stacking and semantic combinations of epistemic modals yinggai (应该) and ke'neng (可能) in Mandarin Chinese |
|---|---|
| Original language | Chinese (Simplified) |
| Pages (from-to) | 151-162, 254-255 |
| Journal | 中国语文 |
| Volume | 2023 |
| Issue number | 2 (总第 413 期) |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2023 |
Research Keywords
- epistemic modal
- yinggai (应该)
- ke'neng (可能)
- illocutionary force
- commitment strength
- 认识情态
- 应该
- 可能
- 言外之力
- 承诺强度