Hypothetical Modality: Grammaticalisation in an L2 dialect: 51 (Studies in Language Companion Series) - Hardcover

Ziegeler, Debra

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9027230544 ISBN 13: 9789027230546

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Co, 2000

Synopsis

This book marks a new development in the field of grammaticalisation studies, in that it extends the field of grammaticalisation studies from relatively homogeneous languages to those possessing well-established and institutionalised second language varieties. In Hypothetical Modality, special reference is made to Singaporean English, a native-speaker L2 dialect of considerable importance in the South-East Asian region, and to the expression in the dialect of hypothetical modality, which appears to be indistinguishable from non-hypothetical modality in terms of the use of preterite or past forms of modal verbs. Within a grammaticalisation
framework, a number of factors can be seen to be relevant to an explanation, including substratum and contact features such as tense/aspect marking, levels of lexical retention as an individual (psychological) phenomenon, and the fact that such dialects have a discontinuity in their development. In addition, the book defines pragmatic approaches to the understanding of hypothetical modality, in both diachronic and synchronic terms.

About this title

Synopsis

This work aims to place new focus on grammaticalization research and explore possiblities of extending a theoretical base by covering second language regional dialects which are becoming institutionalized in the locations where they are spoken' but are not regarded as creoles.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Co
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9027230544
• ISBN 13: 9789027230546
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 307