PECULIARITIES OF OBJECTIVE REPRESENTATION OF MODAL SEMANTICS OF POSSIBILITY IN GOTHIC, OLD AND MIDDLE HIGH GERMAN
This article is written in the diachronic approach and is devoted to the development of modal semantics of possibility. The comparative analysis of formation of the modal verbs expressing various shades of modality of potentiality is based on Gothic, Old and Middle High German texts. On the basis of this analysis and the use of statistical methods of research the process of decategorization – transition of the functions of expression of possibility from morphological category, i. e. moods, to lexical-grammatical means, i. e. preterite-present verbs – was shown. The use of the lexical-grammatical means allows to express the potential internal modality more differentially.
Keywords: modality of possibility; Gothic, Old, Middle High German; preterite-present verbs; optative; decategorization; the verbs kцnnen and dьrfen
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Issue: 10, 2014
Series of issue: Issue 10
Rubric: GERMANIC AND ROMANIC LANGUAGES
Pages: 51 — 55
Downloads: 1051