Acquisition of modality in Croatian
-
Gordana Hržica
Abstract
In this paper, the development of modal expressions in the acquisition of Croatian is analyzed using data from three monolingual children aged 1;0 to 3;0 while taking child-directed speech into consideration. In the premorphological phase of language acquisition, a high percentage of imperatives expressing modality was observed. The imperative is the morphologically simplest form conveying deontic modality. In the subsequent protomorphological phase, more complex forms appeared, such as constructions with modal verbs, and more diverse modal meanings were expressed, including indirect or polite requests as well as wishes, promises and possibilities.
Abstract
In this paper, the development of modal expressions in the acquisition of Croatian is analyzed using data from three monolingual children aged 1;0 to 3;0 while taking child-directed speech into consideration. In the premorphological phase of language acquisition, a high percentage of imperatives expressing modality was observed. The imperative is the morphologically simplest form conveying deontic modality. In the subsequent protomorphological phase, more complex forms appeared, such as constructions with modal verbs, and more diverse modal meanings were expressed, including indirect or polite requests as well as wishes, promises and possibilities.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- List of abbreviations used in the present volume VII
- Studying the acquisition of modality: An introduction 1
- Requests in first language acquisition of German: Evidence from high and low SES families 25
- Gender differences in the acquisition of requests in Lithuanian 79
- Development of directive expressions in Russian adult–child communication 113
- Acquisition of modality in Croatian 159
- Competition of grammatical forms in the expression of directives in early French child speech and child-directed speech 191
- On the acquisition of dynamic, deontic and epistemic uses of modal verbs in Romanian 235
- Development of modality in early Greek language acquisition 255
- Acquisition of requests in Estonian 315
- Directives in Finnish language acquisition 347
- Modality in child Hebrew 379
- Epistemic modality in Russian child language 421
- Epistemic and evidential modality in early Turkish child speech 453
- The development of sentence-ending epistemic/evidential markers in young Korean children 491
- The acquisition of evidentiality in two Mayan languages, Yukatek and Tojolabal 525
- Conclusions 555
- List of Contributors 575
- Subject Index 577
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Contents V
- List of abbreviations used in the present volume VII
- Studying the acquisition of modality: An introduction 1
- Requests in first language acquisition of German: Evidence from high and low SES families 25
- Gender differences in the acquisition of requests in Lithuanian 79
- Development of directive expressions in Russian adult–child communication 113
- Acquisition of modality in Croatian 159
- Competition of grammatical forms in the expression of directives in early French child speech and child-directed speech 191
- On the acquisition of dynamic, deontic and epistemic uses of modal verbs in Romanian 235
- Development of modality in early Greek language acquisition 255
- Acquisition of requests in Estonian 315
- Directives in Finnish language acquisition 347
- Modality in child Hebrew 379
- Epistemic modality in Russian child language 421
- Epistemic and evidential modality in early Turkish child speech 453
- The development of sentence-ending epistemic/evidential markers in young Korean children 491
- The acquisition of evidentiality in two Mayan languages, Yukatek and Tojolabal 525
- Conclusions 555
- List of Contributors 575
- Subject Index 577
