| Abstract [eng] |
This dissertation deals with semantics of modality in general and semantics of the Norwegian modal verbs in particular. My starting point is the assumption that modality deals with people’s attitude towards the trustworthiness of propositions (epistemic attitude) and the presence or absence of obstacles for states of affairs to occur (non-epistemic attitude). I distinguish between neutral and non-neutral attitude on the one hand and between simple and complex attitude on the other. The terms simple and complex attitude are used to distinguish between cases where the speaker in her utterance expresses only one attitude without admitting any alternative attitudes (simple), and cases where she expresses one attitude at the same time as she signals in the same utterance that other participants may have a different attitude towards the status of the target of attitude (complex). Neutral attitude is always simple, while non-neutral attitude may be either simple or complex. Then I apply this model on the Norwegian modal verbs KUNNE, MÅTTE, SKULLE, VILLE and BURDE. I argue that the present tense form kan typically expresses neutral attitude, while the present tense forms må, skal and vil typically express non-neutral simple attitude. Both the present tense form bør and the preterite form burde typically express non-neutral complex attitude. The preterite forms skulle and ville may be used with non-temporal meaning, to transform a non-neutral simple attitude into complex attitude. |
