The meaning of the word modality in a large modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. Analysis of the category of modality in Russian

The facts of reality and their connections, being the content of the statement, can be thought of by the speaker as a reality, as a possibility or desirability, as an obligation or a necessity. The speaker's assessment of his statement from the point of view of the relation of the reported to the objective reality is called modality. Modality in Russian is expressed by mood forms, special intonation, as well as lexical means - modal words and particles. Academician A.A. Shakhmatov resolutely declared the presence in the language, in addition to moods, of other means of expressing modality. He wrote that modality, the nature and character of which have as their source solely the will of the speaker, his emotional urges, can receive several different verbal expressions: firstly, in the form of a verbal predicate, by changing its stem and endings; secondly, in special functional words accompanying the predicate or the main member of the sentence; thirdly, in a special order of words in a sentence; fourthly, in a special intonation of the predicate or the main member of a one-part sentence. In this paper, we will consider the opinion of Russian scientists regarding the distinction between modality and mood, as well as modal words and particles.

Inclination and modality

In speech, in concrete utterance, the relation of action to reality is established by the speaker. However, a certain type of attitude to reality is already laid down in the grammatical form of mood itself. This type of relationship is fixed in the system of mood forms as cells of the grammatical system of the language. The speaker only chooses one or another form of mood, using its inherent grammatical meaning to express the relationship of this action in this particular statement to reality.

The mood category is the grammatical (morphological) core of a broader functional-semantic category of modality, covering not only morphological, but also syntactic and lexical means of expressing the relation of an utterance to reality.

Shades of modality, similar to the functions of verb moods, are expressed together with other elements of the sentence by the infinitive: Everyone, lower your collars!

They are connected with the "indicative" modality in the context of the forms of participles and participles. For example: This ringing - strong, beautiful - flew into the room, making the whole mirror glass of large high windows tremble and creamy curtains, brightly lit by the sun, sway.

Modality, but not the grammatical category of inclination, includes forms such as say, bind, etc., expressing the unexpected onset of an action with a touch of arbitrariness, lack of motivation, for example: pier to him, what, yes how, but why. These forms cannot be attributed to the imperative mood, with which they outwardly coincide, since they are not semantically related to it in any way. Such forms cannot be attributed to the indicative mood, since they do not have its morphological features (variability in tenses, persons and numbers). V.V. Vinogradov considers these forms as "the embryo of a special, voluntarily mood", noting that it is "close to the indicative, but differs from it in a bright modal coloring." By itself, modal coloring is not a sufficient basis for highlighting a special mood. The considered forms do not have such a semantic feature that would include them in the system of moods as an equal member, which is in certain relations with other members of this system. It is no coincidence that V.V. Vinogradov speaks only of the “embryo” (embryo) of a special mood, i.e. does not put "voluntative" on a par with the three well-known moods. Therefore, it seems appropriate to consider forms like say as one of the verbal means of expressing modality (one of the shades of "indicative" modality) outside the grammatical system of moods.

Modal words

In the textbook of the modern Russian language, modal words are unchangeable words that stand out as an independent part of speech, denoting the relationship of the entire statement or its separate part to reality from the speaker's point of view, grammatically not related to other words in the sentence.

In a sentence, modal words act as syntactically isolated units - introductory words or phrases, as well as sentence words that express an assessment of what was said earlier in terms of its reliability-unreliability.

According to the lexical meaning, modal words are divided into two large groups:

1) modal words with the meaning of a statement: of course, undoubtedly, undoubtedly, certainly, without any doubt, etc.;

2) modal words with the meaning of presumption: probably, apparently, probably, should be, I suppose, and so on.

modal particles

This category of particles expresses the speaker's point of view on reality, on the message about it. In turn, modal particles are divided into the following subgroups:

1) Affirmative particles: yes, exactly, definitely, so, yeah, etc .;

2) Negative particles: no, not, neither, not at all, not at all, etc.;

3) Interrogative particles: really, really, whether (l), really, or something, really, etc .;

4) Comparative particles: as, as if, as if;

5) Particles containing an indication of someone else's speech: they say, they say, supposedly;

6) Modal-volitional particles: yes, would, let, come on.

In modern linguistics, there is no unambiguous opinion regarding the nature and content of the category of modality. The end of the 20th century in linguistics was marked by an increase in interest in language not as a symbolic, but as an anthropocentric system, the purpose of which is the speech-cogitative activity of a person. In this regard, many different areas of science have appeared, such as: cognitive linguistics, linguoculturology, ethnopsycholinguistics, psycholinguistics, intercultural communication and others. Modality is a multidimensional phenomenon, and therefore in the linguistic literature there are a variety of opinions and approaches regarding the essence of this phenomenon. All of the listed linguistic directions pose one task - to identify those mental and psychological processes, the result of which is human speech. These mental processes are inextricably linked to modality.

It is important to note that modality is realized either at the grammatical, or at the lexical, or at the intonational level and has different ways of expression. It is expressed by various grammatical and lexical means: modal verbs, words, particles, interjections, moods and other means.

The concept of modality

Mode and modality

Actualizing categories of mode

• modality- in terms of reality / unreality;
  • Modality of reality means that the content is expressed from the point of view of the speaker, corresponds to objective reality: the subject perceives what is being reported as a real and reliable fact.
  • Modality of invalidity on the contrary, it means that the content of what is being communicated does not correspond to objective reality, the subject perceives what is being communicated as not real, i.e. as possible, desired, conjectural, doubtful, etc. The modality of invalidity is subdivided into the following semantic types:
    • modality of necessity and obligation (debitive modality)
    • modality of possibility and impossibility (potential modality)
    • conjectural (hypothetical) modality
    • incentive (imperative) modality
    • modality of intention (intentional modality)
    • desired (optimal) modality

• personalization- the relation of an action, a sign to the subject of the situation, which can be the speaker (1st person), the addressee (2nd person) and not participating in the act of communication (3rd person).
• temporary localization- fixation of the event on the time axis or the absence of such fixation. The reference point is the moment of speech. Temporal localization is manifested in the opposition: now - before - after.
• spatial localization(optional) - fixation of an event in the space of communication or beyond, which is expressed in oppositions here-there, here-there, from here-from there, up-down, inside-outside, far-close ....

Qualifying categories of mode

• authorization is the qualification of information in terms of the sources of its message. It manifests itself in the opposition "one's own / someone else's".
• persuasion - (from lat. persuasio- persuasion, opinion) - this is the qualification of information in terms of the degree of its reliability, manifested in the opposition "reliable / unreliable".
• appraisal (optional) - an expression of a positive or negative attitude of the speaker to the propositive content; general assessment of the situation, person, object in terms of “good / bad” (qualitative assessment), “many / few” (quantitative assessment).

Social categories of mode

The social categories of the mode are an expression of the speaker's attitude to the interlocutor: respectful - familiar, official - friendly. Depending on the attitude towards the interlocutor, there are situations of equality, “top down”, “bottom up”. The manifestations of social categories include all kinds of reservations, marks used to introduce unusual expressions.

Ways of expression

Modality can be expressed by various grammatical and lexical means:

• special forms of inclinations
  • in Russian - indicative, imperative and subjunctive, as well as an independent infinitive ( To have a rest!)
  • in English - Imperative and Subjunctive Mood, etc.;
• modal words:
  • introductory and adverbs - it seems, perhaps English perhaps, likely;
  • modal verbs:
    • in English - can, may, should and must,
    • in German - dürfen and können (to be able), mögen and wollen (to wish), müssen and sollen (to be due),
    • in Russian - I want, I can, I must, I must, I must, I can etc.
• intonation means.

Modality and inclination

Sometimes the term modality acts as a synonym for the term mood, but more often these concepts are distinguished, considering modality as a semantic category (related not only to the verb and may not have a mandatory expression in the language), and mood as a grammatical category of the verb (which may lose its connection with modality, such as, for example , conjunctive in Latin and French, dictated in some cases only by syntactic rules).

Discussions about modality in the sense of a grammatical category are conducted in several problematic directions on questions about:

• About ways of expressing modal meanings;
• On the composition of modal meanings (to include or not in the composition of modal meanings affirmation / negation, narrative, interrogativeness, motivation);
• About how “modal” the imperative mood is.

In domestic syntactic science, there are two main points of view on modality:

1. Modality is considered a grammatical category that characterizes the content of a sentence from the standpoint of reality/irreality;
2. Modality means the grammaticalized relation of the speaker to reality.

See also

Literature

• Zainullin M.V. Modality as a functional-semantic category. - Saratov, 1986.

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Distinguish between objective and subjective modality.

Objective modality is a mandatory feature of any statement, one of the categories that form a predicative unit - a sentence. Objective modality expresses the relation of what is communicated to reality in terms of reality (feasibility or reality) and irreality (non-realization). The main means of designing such a modality is the category of the verbal mood, as well as syntactic particles in some cases - the grammatically significant order of the main members of the sentence. In a concrete utterance, these means necessarily interact with one or another intonational construction. All this finds expression in syntax in the forms of the syntactic indicative mood (indicative) and in the forms of syntactic irreal moods (subjunctive, conditional, desirable, incentive, obligatory). Objective modality is also organically linked to the category of time. However, mood and tense should be distinguished as verbal and syntactic categories.

Since in many languages ​​not only verbal, but also verbless sentences are widely represented, the verb with its morphological categories cannot be recognized as the only carrier of these meanings in a sentence: it is a very important means, but still one of the means of their formation and expression - along with by the other grammatical means mentioned above. In the morphological forms of the verb, the meanings of the mood (and tense) are concentrated and abstracted, and this gives reason to represent them as the meanings of the verb itself in the entire system of its forms. Morphological meanings of tense and mood of the verb interact with other means of expressing syntactic meanings of the same name. The verb with its own values ​​of time and mood is included in the sentence into a wider system of means for the formation of syntactic tenses and moods and interacts with these syntactic means in a single system of expressing syntactic meanings.

Subjective modality, that is, the expression of the speaker's attitude to the reported, in contrast to the objective modality, is an optional feature of the utterance. The semantic volume of subjective modality is wider than the semantic volume of objective modality. Subjective linguistic modality includes not only the logical qualification of what is reported, but also different lexical and grammatical ways of expressing an emotional reaction. It can be:

• 1) members of a special lexico-grammatical class of words, as well as phrases and sentences that are functionally close to them; these members generally function as introductory units;
• 2) special modal particles to express uncertainty, assumption, unreliability, surprise, fear, etc.;
• 3) interjections;
• 4) special intonation to emphasize surprise, doubt, confidence, distrust, protest, irony, etc.;
• 5) word order, emphatic constructions;
• 6) special designs;
• 7) units of expressive vocabulary.

According to the fair remark of V.V. Vinogradov, all modal particles, words, phrases are extremely varied in their meanings and in their etymological nature. Vinogradov V.V. On the category of modality and modal words in Russian, Tr. Institute of the Russian Language of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. T.2. M.; L., 1950. In the category of subjective modality, natural language captures one of the key properties of the human psyche - the ability to oppose "I" and "non-I" within the framework of an utterance. In each specific language, modality is formed taking into account its typological features, but everywhere it reflects a complex interaction between four communication factors: the speaker, the interlocutor, the content of the utterance, and reality.

So, we can consider two types of modality: objective and subjective, but, in any case, modality is a complex interaction between the speaker, the interlocutor, the content of the statement and reality.

More on the topic § 189. Modality and means of its expression in Russian.:

1. Means of expressing communicative meanings in Russian
2. 22. Modal frame of the statement. Means of expressing subjective modality.
3. INTONATION AS A MEANS OF EXPRESSING SUBJECTIVE-MODAL MEANINGS

Modality can be expressed lexically, entering the semantics of different words: true, true, false, impossible, possible, probable, certainly possible etc.

In morphology, modality is manifested with the help of mood forms of the verb (see above section "Category of mood").

In syntax, modality is transmitted primarily when using all kinds of utterance components that are not grammatically related to the members of the sentence: introductory words and phrases, plug-in constructions. Finally, in the Russian language there are specialized means for expressing modality - modal words, in which modality is expressed in their semantics and in their special grammatical status.

Modal words are unchangeable words that stand out as an independent part of speech, denoting the relationship of the entire statement or its separate part to reality from the point of view of the speaker, grammatically not related to other words in the sentence, and stand out intonationally:

What time is it now? Dark. Maybe , third.

Again to me it is seen , unable to close an eye.

The shepherd in the village will crack his whip at dawn.

It will pull the cold out the window,

which faces the courtyard.

Not true , you

All whiteness with its through wave

With me (Past.).

In a sentence, modal words, as a rule, act as syntactically isolated units - introductory words or phrases: " Undoubtedly, he was not quite normal at that moment" (Kav.); " Perhaps I you do not need, Night, from the abyss of the world, like a shell of pearls, I am thrown ashore" (Mand.). from the point of view of reliability or unreliability: “Splashing in the pupil and dissolving in the lymph, She is akin only to an Aeolian nymph, like a friend of Narcissus. But in the calendar rhyme she is different for sure know better" (I.Br.). Finally, modal words are also used as sentence words that express an assessment of what was said earlier in terms of its reliability-unreliability: "Are you a fan of female beauty?" Of course". (Ch.).

By lexical meaning modal words are divided into two large groups: 1) modal words with the meaning of the statement: of course, certainly, without a doubt, of course, certainly, without any doubt etc.; for example: " Of course, different kinds of poets "(Mayak.); "The elders have their own reasons for this. No doubt, no doubt your reason is ridiculous, That purple eyes and lawns in a thunderstorm And the horizon smells of damp mignonette" (Past.); 2) modal words with the meaning of presumptiveness: probably, presumably, probably, must be, perhaps etc., for example: "He walks somewhere, maybe, ceramic horse" (B.Ok.); "I, who sing of the machine and England, may be, just in the most ordinary gospel the thirteenth apostle" (Mayak.);

Byorigin a group of modal words was formed by transition to it: 1) nouns: truth, fact and others: "And truth, everything that the Cossacks got, they divided everything into hits" (Gogi.); "Your line is erroneous, politically incorrect, fact!" (Shol.); 2) short adjectives: undoubtedly, certainly, certainly, truly, probably and others: "Zinaida, no doubt beautiful, excellently brought up" (Vost.); "At Nikolai Semenovich, right, there were boots-pants made of rubberized silk, which he never used" (Yu. Nag.); 3) short participles: apparently:obviously: "Where are the firewood from?" - "From the forest, obviously"(N. Nekr.); 4 ) state category words: obviously, clearly, evidently and others: "He too tenaciously and tensely grasped the crutches with his fingers, - it is seen, not yet used to them" (B. Gorb.); 5) verbs: of course it seems and others: "Onegin, then I was younger and better, seems, was" (P.); "Are you dancing a mazurka with her? he asked in a solemn voice. - She confessed to me ... - "Well, so what? Is this a secret?" Of course" (L.); 6) phrases: in in fact, perhaps, perhaps, in all probability, probably etc.: " May be, this is the point of insanity May be, it is your conscience; The knot of life in which we are recognized And two beings are untied" (Mand.).

Modal words differ from similar genetically related words semantically, morphologically and syntactically. Yes, modal seemed differs from the corresponding form of the verb in that: a) denotes conjecture and has no procedural meaning; b) does not express the grammatical meanings of aspect, mood, etc.; c) does not act as a predicate in a sentence. Wed: "And all to her seemed - she is a foal, and it was worth living, and it was worth working "(Mayak.) - the highlighted word is a verb; " It seemed its energy is enough to wake up the tundra and melt the permafrost" (A.N.T.) - seemed is an introductory modal word. In relation to correlative parts of speech, modal words act as grammatical homonyms.

It should be borne in mind that both the category of modality itself and modal words as one of the means of its expression have not yet been sufficiently studied in modern linguistics. This explains the presence of different points of view on the composition of those units that form a group of modal words. So, V.V. Vinogradov quite broadly defines their circle and refers to them, in addition to those listed: a) words and phrases that are an indication of the source of speech: according to so-and-so, according to rumors etc.; b) words denoting speech evaluation: how it says, in short etc.; c) words expressing an emotional assessment: fortunately, unfortunately, unfortunately etc.; d) words denoting the logical articulation of speech: firstly, secondly, finally etc. Such a broad interpretation of modal words is unjustified, since when the above four groups are included in the circle of means expressing the categorical meaning of modality, its original definition is blurred and becomes fuzzy.

Modal words express:

a) a logical assessment of the statement, the reality of what is reported: indeed, certainly, undoubtedly, of course, undoubtedly, obviously, of course, etc .;

b) possibility, probability of the reported, assumption, doubt about its reliability: perhaps, probably, perhaps, apparently, apparently, apparently, etc.

* Modal words are devoid of a nominative function, they are not members of a sentence and are not grammatically related to the words that make up the sentence. Them syntactic functions:

a) use as a word-sentence, more often in dialogical speech .- Will you buy this book? - Of course (Gorky);

b) use as an introductory word with a modal meaning. Of course, you don’t care about me (A. N. Tolstoy).

Not included into the category of modal words:

1) introductory words expressing an emotional attitude to the facts of reality (fortunately, to pleasure, unfortunately, unfortunately, to surprise, to chagrin, to regret, to annoyance, etc.);

2) words with the meaning of clarification, explanation, restriction (in particular, however, by the way, etc.);

3) words indicating the connection of thoughts, the order of their presentation, the method of registration, close in function to conjunctions) firstly, finally, on the contrary, on the contrary, however, so, therefore, therefore, in a word, so to speak, etc.) .