Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Abstract
In the present paper, we are to put forth a paradigm for the systematic study of modality in Persian.With this end in view, we consider modality as a linguistic phenomenon that can be expressed at the level of sentence, at the level of constituents smaller than sentence and/or at the level of discourse. In such a system where sentential modality, sub-sentential modality and discourse modality are the main categories, each and every modal element can be studied with respect to its phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic properties. Previous studies, meanwhile, have morpho-syntactically limited Persian modal system to modal verbs, modal adverbs and past tense, and among different aspects of modality, have mainly focused on semantic properties of modal elements. In the present pages, employing the proposed paradigm and introducing the three semantic dimensions of modal force, modal base and ordering source, and with regard to the literature on Persian modal system, we introduce modal nouns and modal adjectives to this system and briefly explain the semantic and morphological properties of Persian modal adjectives as well as some of the restrictions imposed on the nominal complements of these adjectives.
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