Modal verbs in Han period Chinese Part II: Negative Markers in combination with the modal auxiliary verbs kĕ and kĕ yĭ

Abstract

In this synchronie study of the modal auxiliary verbs kĕ and kĕ yĭ in Han period Chinese, it is shown that they predominantly express root possibility values, while deontic values are mainly restricted to the negated form of the construction. Propositional values (either epistemic or evidential) are almost non- existent and co-occur only with verbs that licence an evidential interpretation. In Part II, the three structures where kĕ combines with a negative marker are discussed. These are the structures: [NEG Vmod VP], [Vmod NEG VP] and [NEGVmod NEG VP], which mainly express the deontic modalities of prohibition but also root possibility.

Modality and aspect and the thematic role of the subject in Late Archaic and Han period Chinese: obligation and necessity

“…This construction expresses a prohibition and not an obligation and is therefore not at issue in this study. 40 For a discussion on the different analyses of this construction and the role of 以 yǐ, see Meisterernst (2008b). 41 Ziegeler (2008: 44) identifies root modality with future projecting modality in her study.…”

“…60 Instances with a negative marker preceding 可 kĕ in general express the root modal (deontic) value of prohibition. They can refer to both an agent-oriented modality corresponding to an obligation in the affirmative: 'must' , or a speaker-oriented modality, corresponding to permission in the affirmative: 'may' (Meisterernst 2008b). 61 The verb 得 dé 'find, obtain' may be an exception.…”

“…a strong obligation 'must'. In contrast to the affirmative construction with 可(以) kě(yǐ), it never expresses root possibility (Meisterernst 2008b). The obligation is conveyed in an indirect way precisely expressing 'it is not possible that not p ¬◊¬ p' = □p 'it is necessary that p'; the basic meaning of 可 kĕ being 'possible, permissible'.…”

“…The auxiliary verb kě(yǐ) 可(以) predominantly expresses circumstantial root possibility (Meisterernst 2008b), i.e. possibility due to external factors and circumstances 'can, possible'.…”

The grammaticalization of impossibility

“…Despite its importance, not many comprehensive studies are as yet available for Chinese. Synchronically, there are studies on modal adverbs and modal auxiliaries in Modern Chinese, such as Alleton (1977;, Li (2004), Lin (2012) and Sparvoli (2015), while for Literary Chinese, the modal auxiliary verbs of possibility and of volition have been discussed by Peyraube (1999;2001), Liu (2000) and Meisterernst (2008a;2008b). Diachronically, some studies (e.g., Li 2004) proffer a brief history of canonical Mandarin modal verbs (neng 'can' , hui 'can' , yao 'should, must' , ying 'should' , de 'have to'); others focus on the diachronic development of specific modal verbs, such as modal verbs of obligation-dang 'should' and ying 'should' (Meisterernst 2011;2020), bixu 'must/have to' (Zhu 2005) and yao 'should, must' (Ma 2002), and modal verbs of volition-gan 'dare to' ken 'willing, can' and yuan 'willing' (Peyraube & Li 2012).…”