A history of English evidential verbs of appearance

Abstract

In this corpus-based article we explore the development of evidential meanings in English verbs of appearance, together with their acquisition of evaluative meanings. We explore the relationship of these semantic changes to the question of whether there is an increase in subjectivity diachronically, and we show that subjectivity is orthogonal to both developments: an increase in subjectivity appears rather to go with the spread of small clause constructions.

Evidential Modals at the Semantic-Argumentative Interface: Appearance Verbs as Indicators of Defeasible Argumentation

“…Indeed, this inferential meaning has been crosslinguistically recognized in studies (Col 2006, Cornillie 2009, Gisborne 2007, Diewald and Smirnova 2010 about appearance verbs as markers of evidentiality.…”

Constructing Collectivity

“…For counterarguments to this position, see Diewald and Smirnova (2010). A number of scholars (Chafe 1986;Traugott 1997;Smirnova 2006;Gisborne and Holmes 2007;Diewald and Smirnova 2010;Gisborne 2010;Whitt 2010) have identified aspects of evidentiality in English and German, and I will do the same here.…”

“…Recent investigations into the syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of perception verbs-those verbs denoting sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste-has revealed that this group of verbs provide a key means of lexical realizations of evidential meaning in languages such as English and German (Gisborne and Holmes 2007;Gisborne 2010;Whitt 2009Whitt , 2010Whitt , 2011.…”

From aspect to evidentiality: The subjectification path of the French semi-copula se faire and its Spanish cognate hacerse

“…But it seems very plausible that the dative has facilitated the development of evidential readings (cf. Gisborne & Holmes, 2007), something which has not been possible in the case of se faire.…”

“…The expression of the experiencer (Engl. to X; dative) is a typical feature of evidential verbs such as sembler and paraître ('seem') (Miller, 2009, referring to Gisborne; see also Gisborne & Holmes, 2007). If the experiencer remains unexpressed ("offstage"; Langacker, 1990: 7), it can very often be recovered contextually or situationally.…”