(Komi-Permyak)

EpsV & EpsElse

EpsV: Epistemic modality is expressed using a complex verb construction.

EpsElse: Epistemic modality is expressed in ways other than using different verb forms or complex verb constructions.

(1)etökad-ökudymkar-ynov-l-önaťtököǯyt.
this.INEtimeINEKudimkarINEbeFREQPRS.3SGmaybecold
’It may be cold in Kudimkar at this time of year.’ (L. P.)

(2)vöraliś-śezverm-i-sövij-nyunaur-rez.
hunterPLcanPST3PLkillINFmanysquirrelPL
’The hunters may have killed a lot of squirrels.’ (L. P.)

In Komi-Permyak epistemic modality is expressed using modifiers such as naťtö ’maybe, surely’, and poďi ’perhaps’ (1). Apart from this, combining vermyny ’can’ with the infinitive (2) can also express the speaker’s opinion (L. P.). Further research is needed.

Author: Nikolett F. Gulyás


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