Documentation

Linglib.Fragments.Niuean.Modals

Niuean Modal Inventory #

[Mat16] [MDT12] [Sei80]

Niuean (Polynesian, ISO 639-3 niu) modal system. Niuean exemplifies a typological pattern where force distinctions are encoded in the circumstantial domain (separate possibility and necessity modals) but absent in the epistemic domain (a single general-purpose epistemic modal covers both force values).

ModalDomainForceSource
ligaepistemicposs + nec[MDT12]
maekecircumstantialpossibility[Sei80] p. 140
latacircumstantialnecessity[Sei80] p. 133

Key data ([Mat16] §18.5, examples 64–68) #

(64) liga kua fano tei — 'He might have left.' ([MDT12] p. 224)

(65) Hí ika a Tom he aho nei ... liga malolo a ia 'Tom is fishing today ... he's probably well.' ([MDT12] p. 228)

(66) ne liga kua veli hifo e tama ke he pelapela 'The boy must have fallen in the mud.' ([Sei80] p. 13)

(67) kua maeke he tama ia ke taute pasikala afi 'That child is able to fix motorbikes.' ([Sei80] p. 140)

(68) lata ke ō a tautolu he aho nei ki Queen Street 'We should go to Queen Street today.' ([Sei80] p. 133)

Typological significance #

[Mat16] §18.5: Niuean tests whether epistemic modals are more likely to lack duals than circumstantial modals. The pattern — general-purpose epistemic + dual circumstantial — is consistent with Gitksan (variable-force epistemics, dual circumstantials) and with the broader cross-linguistic tendency for force distinctions to be encoded in the root/circumstantial domain.

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def Niuean.Modals.liga :
Semantics.Modality.Typology.ModalExpression

General-purpose epistemic modal: usable in both possibility and necessity contexts. [MDT12]. Translatable as 'might', 'probably', 'must' depending on context.

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    def Niuean.Modals.maeke :
    Semantics.Modality.Typology.ModalExpression

    Circumstantial possibility modal ('able to', 'can'). [Sei80] p. 140.

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      def Niuean.Modals.lata :
      Semantics.Modality.Typology.ModalExpression

      Circumstantial necessity modal ('should', 'must'). [Sei80] p. 133.

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        def Niuean.Modals.allExpressions :
        List Semantics.Modality.Typology.ModalExpression
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          Force analysis #

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          def Niuean.Modals.forceAnalysis :
          Semantics.Modality.Typology.ModalExpression → Semantics.Modality.ForceAnalysis

          Force analysis for each Niuean modal. liga is variable-force; maeke and lata are fixed.

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            Background classification #

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            def Niuean.Modals.backgroundClass :
            Semantics.Modality.Typology.ModalExpression → Semantics.Modality.BackgroundClass

            Background class for each Niuean modal. liga is epistemic (factual-evidential); maeke and lata are circumstantial (factual-circumstantial).

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              Dual structure #

              The circumstantial domain has a dual pair (maeke/lata), but the epistemic domain does not — liga covers both forces.

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              theorem Niuean.Modals.liga_no_dual :
              ¬(forceAnalysis liga).HasDual

              liga lacks a dual: no contrasting epistemic necessity or possibility modal.

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              theorem Niuean.Modals.maeke_has_dual :
              (forceAnalysis maeke).HasDual

              maeke has a dual (lata).

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              theorem Niuean.Modals.lata_has_dual :
              (forceAnalysis lata).HasDual

              lata has a dual (maeke).

              Typological properties #

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              theorem Niuean.Modals.liga_satisfies_iff :
              Semantics.Modality.Typology.satisfiesIFF liga.meaning = true

              liga satisfies IFF (variable force, single flavour).

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              theorem Niuean.Modals.liga_satisfies_sav :
              Semantics.Modality.Typology.satisfiesSAV liga.meaning = true

              liga satisfies SAV (varies on force axis only).

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              theorem Niuean.Modals.all_satisfy_iff :
              (allExpressions.all fun (e : Semantics.Modality.Typology.ModalExpression) => Semantics.Modality.Typology.satisfiesIFF e.meaning) = true

              All Niuean modals satisfy IFF.

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              theorem Niuean.Modals.all_satisfy_sav :
              (allExpressions.all fun (e : Semantics.Modality.Typology.ModalExpression) => Semantics.Modality.Typology.satisfiesSAV e.meaning) = true

              All Niuean modals satisfy SAV.

              Flavour–force correlation #

              Epistemic domain: no force distinction (liga covers both). Circumstantial domain: force distinction encoded (maeke vs lata). This is exactly Nauze's (2008) polyfunctionality pattern applied to the force dimension: liga varies along the force axis within the epistemic flavour, while circumstantial modals are fixed on force.

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              theorem Niuean.Modals.epistemic_single_modal :
              (List.filter (fun (e : Semantics.Modality.Typology.ModalExpression) => e.meaning.any fun (ff : Semantics.Modality.ForceFlavor) => ff.flavor == Semantics.Modality.ModalFlavor.epistemic) allExpressions).length = 1

              The epistemic domain has a single modal covering both forces.

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              theorem Niuean.Modals.circumstantial_has_duals :
              (List.filter (fun (e : Semantics.Modality.Typology.ModalExpression) => e.meaning.any fun (ff : Semantics.Modality.ForceFlavor) => ff.flavor == Semantics.Modality.ModalFlavor.circumstantial) allExpressions).length = 2

              The circumstantial domain has separate possibility and necessity modals.