Communicating about the past through modality in English and Thai
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Katarzyna M. Jaszczolt
Abstract
The chapter concerns semantic representation of past-time reference. It begins with the proposal that temporality be subsumed under the category of epistemic modality, understood as a degree of detachment from the content of the expressed proposition. We present arguments in support of this stance and refer to other arguments already aired in the linguistic and philosophical literature. We briefly summarise the contextualist theory of Default Semantics and apply it to the analysis of past-time expressions in Thai and English. We point out that the semantic representation of temporal expressions requires a perspective that combines the insights of cognitive approaches to meaning with a formal account of ‘pragmatic compositionality’. We focus on the Simple Past and Narrative Present in English and on the modal auxiliary d1ay1II in Thai that frequently assumes past-time reference.
Abstract
The chapter concerns semantic representation of past-time reference. It begins with the proposal that temporality be subsumed under the category of epistemic modality, understood as a degree of detachment from the content of the expressed proposition. We present arguments in support of this stance and refer to other arguments already aired in the linguistic and philosophical literature. We briefly summarise the contextualist theory of Default Semantics and apply it to the analysis of past-time expressions in Thai and English. We point out that the semantic representation of temporal expressions requires a perspective that combines the insights of cognitive approaches to meaning with a formal account of ‘pragmatic compositionality’. We focus on the Simple Past and Narrative Present in English and on the modal auxiliary d1ay1II in Thai that frequently assumes past-time reference.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Acknowledgments ix
- Introduction 1
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Part I. Theoretical foundations
- The definition of modality 21
- The English present 45
- The organization of the German clausal grounding system 87
- Grounding in terms of anchoring relations 109
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Part II. Descriptive application
- Some remarks on the role of the reference point in the construal configuration of “more” and “less” grounding predications 137
- New current relevance in Croatian 159
- Aspect as a scanning device in natural language processing 181
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Part III. Descriptive application
- Imperfective aspect and epistemic modality 217
- Communicating about the past through modality in English and Thai 249
- The epistemic uses of the English simple past and the French imparfait 279
- Name Index 311
- Subject Index 315
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- List of contributors vii
- Acknowledgments ix
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Theoretical foundations
- The definition of modality 21
- The English present 45
- The organization of the German clausal grounding system 87
- Grounding in terms of anchoring relations 109
-
Part II. Descriptive application
- Some remarks on the role of the reference point in the construal configuration of “more” and “less” grounding predications 137
- New current relevance in Croatian 159
- Aspect as a scanning device in natural language processing 181
-
Part III. Descriptive application
- Imperfective aspect and epistemic modality 217
- Communicating about the past through modality in English and Thai 249
- The epistemic uses of the English simple past and the French imparfait 279
- Name Index 311
- Subject Index 315
