open access

https://doi.org/10.14943/101899

https://hdl.handle.net/2115/84899

A Contrastive Study on Evidentiality with Special Reference to the Languages of Northeast Asia

日本語

存在動詞

2022-03-20

Japan Association of Northern Language Studies

Northern Language Studies

12

113-145

Even descriptions of the same language often differ in which form as evidentiality they regard, depending on the description. On the other hand, it is common for a description to treat a form that seems to be closely related to evidentiality under a different grammatical category. From a contrastive perspective, this paper deals extensively with indirect evidentiality and its related forms, and reconsiders the semantic scope and characteristics of “(indirect) evidentiality” in the languages of the following region and its relationship with other grammatical categories. I show that the evidential form emerges from the perfect aspect at the left domain of the verbal complex, develops fully as an inflexional tense-cum-form, and then transitions historically to a specialized individual modal meaning as a clitic at the right domain of the verbal complex. The following languages are covered in this paper: Turkish (Turkic), Khalkha Mongolian (Mongolic), Nanai (Tungusic), Korean, Old Japanese, Tanegashima dialect of Japanese, Tohoku dialect of Japanese, Nagano and Shizuoka dialects of Japanese, Kinki dialect of Japanese, North Ryukyuan, South Ryukyuan, and Common Japanese. In conclusion, firstly I propose the hypothesis that the form of indirect evidentiality changes historically as follows. Secondly I propose that the various indirect evidentials discussed in this paper be considered as a combination of “-Observation” at the “Time of the action” and “Recognition/Report” at the “Time of the utterance”.

紀要論文

Version of Record

2185-7121

AA12516968