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A sociosemiotic interpretation of linguistic modality in legal settings
-
Le Cheng
and
King Kui Sin
Published/Copyright:
May 27, 2011
Abstract
While a much investigated concept because of its importance in shaping human discourse, modality has still not been given an agreed understanding. Using authentic Chinese court judgments in Hong Kong, this paper aims to unravel the complexity of modality as exemplified in its usage in the legal domain. It examines formal, semantic, and functional approaches to modality, showing their weaknesses in identifying and explaining modality in legal discourse. It proposes a socio-semiotic approach as an alternative for giving us a better understanding of modality in respect of its meaning and function in our language as a sign system.
Keywords:: semiotics; sociosemiotic interpretation; formal approach; semantic approach; functional approach; semiotic approach
Published Online: 2011-05-27
Published in Print: 2011-June
© 2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
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Keywords for this article
semiotics;
sociosemiotic interpretation;
formal approach;
semantic approach;
functional approach;
semiotic approach
Articles in the same Issue
- Meaning and interpretation: The semiotic similarities and differences between Cognitive Grammar and European structural linguistics
- Can Saussure's orangery manuscripts shed new light on biosemiotics?
- A choice of emblemes and other devices
- Symbolism in handwriting
- A sociosemiotic interpretation of linguistic modality in legal settings
- Tracking the distribution of individual semantic features in gesture across spoken discourse: New perspectives in multi-modal interaction
- Competitive cities and human scales: The semiotics of urban excess
- Justice unmasked: A semiotic analysis of Justitia
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- On theatrical semiosphere of postdramatic theatrical event: Rethinking the semiotic epistemology in performance analysis today
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