Sequence, gaze, and modal semantics: modal verb selection in German permission inquiries
Two modal verbs of German are regularly used to express deontic possibility: können (‘can’) and dürfen (‘may’). We examine how speakers select between them, focusing on modal inquiries for permission to carry out some action (darf/kann ich das machen, ‘may/can I do this’). Our data are video-recordi...
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De Gruyter
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Linguistics |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2023-0017 |
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| author | Zinken Jörg Mack Christina |
| author_facet | Zinken Jörg Mack Christina |
| author_sort | Zinken Jörg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Two modal verbs of German are regularly used to express deontic possibility: können (‘can’) and dürfen (‘may’). We examine how speakers select between them, focusing on modal inquiries for permission to carry out some action (darf/kann ich das machen, ‘may/can I do this’). Our data are video-recordings of everyday face-to-face interaction, which we analyze sequentially, drawing on interactional-linguistic methods. We find that local sequential context and aspects of visible turn-design systematically enter into the accomplishment of deontic meaning. (1) Position of the modal inquiry within a course of action informs verb selection: speakers select kann to nominate an action as coming “out of the blue” and initiating a new course of action; darf to nominate an action as sequentially occasioned: a solution to an already known-in-common problem. (2) Bodily behavior (gaze, body posture) guides the interpretation of modal flavor, moving a kann-inquiry towards a deontic or a circumstantial interpretation, and moving a darf-inquiry towards a deontic or a bouletic interpretation. Overall, the study demonstrates the systematic contributions of sequential position and body behavior in the accomplishment of modal meanings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6f369f8c332e4968962c25e75581a4c4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0024-3949 1613-396X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
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| series | Linguistics |
| spelling | doaj-art-6f369f8c332e4968962c25e75581a4c42025-01-14T13:23:06ZengDe GruyterLinguistics0024-39491613-396X2025-01-0163115919210.1515/ling-2023-0017Sequence, gaze, and modal semantics: modal verb selection in German permission inquiriesZinken Jörg0Mack Christina1Department of Pragmatics, Leibniz-Institute for the German Language (IDS), Mannheim, GermanyDepartment of Pragmatics, Leibniz-Institute for the German Language (IDS), Mannheim, GermanyTwo modal verbs of German are regularly used to express deontic possibility: können (‘can’) and dürfen (‘may’). We examine how speakers select between them, focusing on modal inquiries for permission to carry out some action (darf/kann ich das machen, ‘may/can I do this’). Our data are video-recordings of everyday face-to-face interaction, which we analyze sequentially, drawing on interactional-linguistic methods. We find that local sequential context and aspects of visible turn-design systematically enter into the accomplishment of deontic meaning. (1) Position of the modal inquiry within a course of action informs verb selection: speakers select kann to nominate an action as coming “out of the blue” and initiating a new course of action; darf to nominate an action as sequentially occasioned: a solution to an already known-in-common problem. (2) Bodily behavior (gaze, body posture) guides the interpretation of modal flavor, moving a kann-inquiry towards a deontic or a circumstantial interpretation, and moving a darf-inquiry towards a deontic or a bouletic interpretation. Overall, the study demonstrates the systematic contributions of sequential position and body behavior in the accomplishment of modal meanings.https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2023-0017embodimentgazemodalitymodal verbscontextsequence |
| spellingShingle | Zinken Jörg Mack Christina Sequence, gaze, and modal semantics: modal verb selection in German permission inquiries Linguistics embodiment gaze modality modal verbs context sequence |
| title | Sequence, gaze, and modal semantics: modal verb selection in German permission inquiries |
| title_full | Sequence, gaze, and modal semantics: modal verb selection in German permission inquiries |
| title_fullStr | Sequence, gaze, and modal semantics: modal verb selection in German permission inquiries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sequence, gaze, and modal semantics: modal verb selection in German permission inquiries |
| title_short | Sequence, gaze, and modal semantics: modal verb selection in German permission inquiries |
| title_sort | sequence gaze and modal semantics modal verb selection in german permission inquiries |
| topic | embodiment gaze modality modal verbs context sequence |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/ling-2023-0017 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zinkenjorg sequencegazeandmodalsemanticsmodalverbselectioningermanpermissioninquiries AT mackchristina sequencegazeandmodalsemanticsmodalverbselectioningermanpermissioninquiries |