Home Linguistics & Semiotics Chapter 11. What can different types of linguistic data teach us on evidentiality?
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 11. What can different types of linguistic data teach us on evidentiality?

  • Seppo Kittilä , Lotta Jalava and Erika Sandman
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
Evidence for Evidentiality
This chapter is in the book Evidence for Evidentiality

Abstract

In this chapter, different types of data used in evidentiality studies are discussed. We first discuss reference grammars, which are necessary for any cross-linguistic study of evidentials. This is followed by a discussion of (different types of) usage-based data, as well as natural language data and stimulus-based data collection used in linguistic fieldwork. We end our discussion by examining data collected by means of questionnaires and acceptability judgments. It is shown that all the types of data discussed are relevant for a full understanding of evidentiality, but they differ in their contribution and complement each other. For example, usage-based data is necessary for studying frequencies in languages, while reference grammars reveal what is common across languages.

Abstract

In this chapter, different types of data used in evidentiality studies are discussed. We first discuss reference grammars, which are necessary for any cross-linguistic study of evidentials. This is followed by a discussion of (different types of) usage-based data, as well as natural language data and stimulus-based data collection used in linguistic fieldwork. We end our discussion by examining data collected by means of questionnaires and acceptability judgments. It is shown that all the types of data discussed are relevant for a full understanding of evidentiality, but they differ in their contribution and complement each other. For example, usage-based data is necessary for studying frequencies in languages, while reference grammars reveal what is common across languages.

Downloaded on 7.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/hcp.61.12kit/html
Scroll to top button