Epistemic Modality - Realisation in Speech

Realisation in Speech

  • (a) grammatically: through
    • modal verbs (e.g., English: may, might, must; German: sollen),
    • particular grammatical moods on verbs, the epistemic moods, or
    • a specific grammatical element, such as an affix (Tuyuca: -hīyi "reasonable to assume") or particle; or
  • (b) non-grammatically (often lexically): through
    • adverbials (e.g., English: perhaps, possibly), or
    • through a certain intonational pattern.

Read more about this topic:  Epistemic Modality

Famous quotes containing the word speech:

    Speech and prose are not the same thing. They have different wave-lengths, for speech moves at the speed of light, where prose moves at the speed of the alphabet, and must be consecutive and grammatical and word-perfect. Prose cannot gesticulate. Speech can sometimes do nothing more.
    James Kenneth Stephens (1882–1950)