Mood and Modality (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics) - Softcover

Frank Robert Palmer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521319307 ISBN 13: 9780521319300

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1986

Synopsis

'Mood' (subjunctive, etc.) and 'modality' (can, may, must, etc.) are familiar terms in linguistics, but this is the first book to present a systematic and principled description, across a wide variety of languages, of what can be considered a single grammatical category. The notion of modality is notoriously vague and a number of definitions have been proposed, encompassing the attitude or opinion of the speaker, speech acts, subjectivity, non-factivity, non-assertion, possibility and necessity. Often such definitions have been language-specific. By examining data (including data on evidentials) from many different languages - native American and Australian languages, for example, as well as Latin, Greek, English and others - F. R. Palmer is able to compare and contrast the ways in which modality is grammaticalized, its various functions, and its relation to other grammatical categories. From this typological approach arise cross-linguistic generalisations and theoretical conclusions that will interest the specialist as much as the advanced student. Written with F. R. Palmer's characteristic clarity and attention to detail, Mood and modality is a major contribution to our understanding of a basic topic in language studies.

About this title

Review

'These are complex areas ... and as a basic guide to the problems and the terminology in the field this is a valuable book.' Raphael Salkie, MLR

Book Description

Since the publication of F. R. Palmer's first edition of Mood and Modality in 1986, when the topic of 'modality' was fairly unfamiliar, there has been considerable interest in the subject. In this book, Palmer investigates the category of modality, drawing on a wealth of examples from a wide variety of languages.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1986
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521319307
• ISBN 13: 9780521319300
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256