Cognitive linguistics seminar
Speaker: Yueh-Hsin Kuo
Title: Change from dynamic modality to conditionality and the meanings of the conditional protasis
Abstract: The grammaticalization literature has not demonstrated convincingly how, if at all, dynamic modals may develop into conditional protasis connectives (e.g. ‘if’). Using qualitative and quantitative evidence from Mandarin Chinese, I propose that such a development is plausible, through univerbation. I also suggest that collostructional attraction, motivated by functional compatibility, may explain why dynamic modals tend to develop into connectives in pre-established conditional protases, while deontic and epistemic modals do so in main clauses. Finally, I briefly consider functional and formal approaches to the meaning(s) of the conditional protasis and the predictions they make about the combinatorics of modals and conditional protasis connectives.
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Cognitive linguistics seminar
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