69: What we can, must, and should say about modals
Jun 16, 2022
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In this episode, the hosts discuss modals in language, including the nine common modals in English and the use of quasi-modals. They explore the ambiguity and multiple interpretations that can arise from their usage. The speakers also discuss the challenges of translating modals and modality, highlighting variations in different languages. They delve into the use of double modals in English, share personal experiences, and discuss the difficulties of studying modals. They also discuss the significance of achieving a Guinness World Record and provide details on promotions.
Modals in English play a unique role as modal auxiliaries, expressing both believability and permission in sentence structure.
Double modals in certain varieties of English, like 'might could' and 'may can', showcase the flexibility and creativity within the modal system of the language.
Deep dives
Modals in English: Believability and Permission
Modals in English, such as can, could, shall, should, will, would, may, might, and must, play a unique role in sentence structure as modal auxiliaries. They fit between the subject and the bare form of the verb, without any added elements. Modals can express both believability and permission. Believability refers to whether something is possible or likely, while permission refers to whether something is allowed or obliged. For example, the sentence 'I can see' expresses the belief that seeing is possible, while 'You may go' indicates permission to go. English also has other forms of modality, including modal adjectives like possible and obligatory, and modal adverbs like necessarily and likely. Modals can vary cross-linguistically in terms of their grammatical forms and distinctions, making the study of modality a complex and fascinating area in linguistics.
Double Modals: A Unique Feature of Some Varieties of English
Double modals, such as 'might could' and 'may can', are a feature found in certain varieties of English, particularly in the American South and parts of Scotland. These constructions involve combining two modal verbs together for added emphasis or nuance. While double modals are relatively rare and salient in English, a study of geotagged tweets found instances of these constructions. The frequencies of different double modals varied, with 'might can' being the most common. Double modals showcase the flexibility and creativity that exists within the modal system of English, highlighting the ways in which language variation can manifest even within a single language.
Modal Particles in German and Dutch
German and Dutch feature modal particles, which add flavor and emphasis to statements. These particles, such as 'just' or 'even' in English, contribute a sense of forcefulness or urgency to the meaning of a sentence. While English does not typically discuss these particles as modal particles, they perform a similar function by intensifying the modality expressed. For example, 'Give me the book' becomes 'Just give me the book' or 'Give me the book already,' adding a sense of urgency or impatience to the request. Modal particles offer a fascinating area of study in Germanic languages and highlight the richness and complexity of modality across different linguistic systems.
Modals Across Languages: Variations and Similarities
The expression of modality varies across languages, although there are commonalities in the distinctions made between believability and permission. For example, some languages, like Malay and some Germanic languages, employ different words or grammatical structures to convey modality. Other languages, like Italian, integrate modals into the verb system itself. Additionally, signed languages use visual modality to indicate strength of commitment or permission. The vast range of grammatical possibilities and the specific contexts in which modality is expressed highlight the diversity and linguistic ingenuity found across different language families.
Sometimes, we use language to make definite statements about how the world is. Other times, we get more hypothetical, and talk about how things could be. What can happen. What may occur. What might be the case. What will happen (or would, if only we should have known!) What we must and shall end up with. In other words, we use a part of language known as modals and modality!
In this episode, your hosts Lauren Gawne and Gretchen McCulloch get enthusiastic about modals! We talk about the nine common modals in English, the gloriously-named quasimodals (no relation to the bellringer but I would absolutely read the Quasimodo/Quasimodal crossover, I’m just saying), and how people use the ambiguity between permission and believability in English modals for comic effect. We also talk about neat things modals do in various languages: in Nsyilxcen, the modal is a separate word, whereas in Nez Perce, it’s an affix on the verb, and in German, there are also modal adverbs. In Italian Sign Language and American Sign Language the forcefulness of the modal (such as the difference between “should” and “must”) is indicated through having modals that are performed faster or larger or have a more intensive expression in how they’re signed.
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For links to things mentioned in this episode: https://lingthusiasm.com/post/687253856615350272/episode-69-what-we-can-must-and-should-say
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