Modals and perfect morphology

Catalan Journal of Linguistics

Brenda Laca¹ 

[1] Université Paris 8 - CNRS UMR 7023 SFLUniversidad de la República, Romanística y Español, FHUCE;

关键词: modal verbs;    perfect morphology;    epistemic readings;    counterfactual readings;    actuality entailment;    aoristic drift;   

DOI  :  10.5565/rev/catjl.240

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

This paper argues for a correlation between the distribution and interpretation of sequences in which perfect morphology is realized on a modal verb, on the one hand, and the semantics of perfect morphology, more precisely the stage reached by present perfects on the aoristic drift, on the other. Contemporary French, which shows a neat preference for higher perfects, is contrasted with European Spanish, which regularly exhibits epistemic readings for modals bearing perfect morphology without a general preference for higher perfects. Confirmation for the initial correlation is derived from an examination of Classical French and Latin American Spanish varieties.

【 授权许可】

Unknown