St'át'imcets (Lillooet Salish) Modal Inventory #
@cite{matthewson-2016} @cite{rullmann-matthewson-davis-2008}
St'át'imcets (ISO 639-3 lil, also known as Lillooet) modal system.
The system demonstrates two key typological properties:
- Single morpheme, multiple forces: the enclitic =ka can express either deontic permission or obligation depending on context (@cite{matthewson-2016} example 1).
- Dedicated ability morpheme: the circumfix ka-...-a is restricted to ability/circumstantial possibility, contrasting with the force-variable =ka (@cite{matthewson-2005}).
- Lexicalized epistemic/circumstantial split: epistemic and circumstantial modality are expressed by distinct morphological strategies. Epistemic modals are typically second-position clitics (ima, gat-type elements, shared with related Salish languages), while circumstantial modals are predicative verbs or circumfixes.
St'át'imcets modal expressions (from @cite{rullmann-matthewson-davis-2008}) #
| Form | Type | Flavour | Force |
|---|---|---|---|
| =ka | enclitic | deontic | poss + nec |
| ka-...-a | circumfix | circumstantial | possibility |
Modal expressions #
Deontic enclitic: variable force (permission or obligation). @cite{matthewson-2016} example 1:
- wá7=ka s-lep' i=k'ún7=a ku=pála7 máqa7 'The eggs can/have to stay in the ground for a year.'
Equations
- Fragments.Statimcets.Modals.ka = { form := "=ka", meaning := [Fragments.Statimcets.Modals.pd✝, Fragments.Statimcets.Modals.nd✝] }
Instances For
Ability circumfix: fixed possibility force, circumstantial flavour. @cite{matthewson-2005}:
- ka-xílh-ts-tal'í-ha 'could do it the fastest'
Equations
- Fragments.Statimcets.Modals.kaCircumfix = { form := "ka-...-a", meaning := [Fragments.Statimcets.Modals.pc✝] }
Instances For
Force analysis #
=ka is variable-force (single deontic flavour, both forces). ka-...-a is fixed possibility.
Equations
- Fragments.Statimcets.Modals.forceAnalysis { form := "=ka", meaning := meaning } = Core.Modality.ForceAnalysis.variableForce
- Fragments.Statimcets.Modals.forceAnalysis { form := "ka-...-a", meaning := meaning } = Core.Modality.ForceAnalysis.fixed Core.Modality.ModalForce.possibility
- Fragments.Statimcets.Modals.forceAnalysis x✝ = Core.Modality.ForceAnalysis.fixed Core.Modality.ModalForce.possibility
Instances For
Background classification #
Both St'át'imcets modals formalized here are factual-circumstantial: =ka is deontic (norms as ordering source) and ka-...-a is ability (circumstantial facts). The factual-evidential and content-evidential classes in St'át'imcets are expressed by the evidential elements k'a and lákw7a, which are not formalized here.
Typological properties #
=ka satisfies IFF (trivially: single flavour, variable force = Cartesian product {poss, nec} × {deontic}).
=ka satisfies SAV: varies on force axis only.
ka-...-a satisfies IFF (singleton meaning).
All St'át'imcets modals satisfy IFF.