The relation between grammaticalization and intersubjectification in designating the genesis of modal auxiliaries

This paper considers role of grammaticalization and intersubjectification in determining the origin of some modal auxiliaries in Iranian languages. These auxiliaries, based on Nuyts (2005 and further) express deontic necessity, epistemic possibility, participant-inherent necessity, participant-imposed necessity, and situational necessity, which for the ease of access are considered as equivalences to ‘bAjest{n’ (must). Based on the traditional definition of grammaticalization, one might expect these auxiliaries, the same as other auxiliaries to be developed from lexical verbs. However, following this path might violate what Traugott and Dasher (2002), Traugott (1989, 1995 and 2010) and also Byloo and Nuyts (2014) have in mind by (inter) subjectification, where volitional verbs are evolved from modal notions and the related concepts. Both traditional definition of grammaticalization and this reading of intersubjectification are unidirectional and predominantly verify the diachronic path of evolving such modal from volitional verbs. Even though, data from four languages, including Kahangi, Vafsi, Tati, and Semnani, where the modals meaning ‘must’ have the same roots with the volitional verbs meaning ‘want’, being limited to grammaticalization might violate intersubjectification and vice versa, following intersubjectification might exclude grammaticalization. Therefore, here we suggest that these auxiliaries are not developed from the volitional verbs in these; yet, both groups have been simultaneously evolved from a third element in Old Iranian.

Publication year:2020

Keywords:A1 Journal article

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