Aspect and tense in evidentials

Abstract

This chapter investigates the interaction between evidential categories and temporal anchoring in Bulgarian, a South Slavic language, Mébengokre, a Jê language in Central Brazil, and Matses, a Panoan language in the Amazon region in Brazil and Peru. It argues that temporal categories retain their usual interpretation in evidential contexts both in Mébengokre, a language whose evidential system seems independent from tense, and in Bulgarian and Matses, two languages where evidential markers are fused with temporal categories. The conclusion is that there is no need to hypothesize an independent “evidential” system of temporal reference in these languages. A careful analysis of tense and aspect, with particular attention to aspectual interpretations, can account for cases in which temporal relations appear to shift in evidential contexts. The chapter thus argues against the postulation of independent “evidential specific” temporal paradigms.

On the role of person features in the evidential-temporal connection

“…In fact, if EA is a semi-lexical head, there is no principled reason why in a language with tense, EA could not combine with tense. A plausible example of such a system is Matses (a Panoan language spoken in Amazonian Peru and Brazil), as described by Fleck (2007) (but see Arregui et al 2017 for an alternative view).…”

“…Arregui et al (2017) argue against the postulation of evidential-specific tense paradigms and argue that tenses retain their regular role in evidential contexts. See also Speas (2010) for a different view on the evidential-temporal connection.…”

“…Ra'e and raka'e: Further issues in evidential interpretation So far we have discussed the not-at-issue contribution of evidential ra'e and raka'e. As for the assertive meaning, we surmisethough we have not examined this issue extensivelythat a modal account for these evidentials might be appropriate, following one of the general approaches to evidentiality, as in Izvorski (1997), Matthewson et al (2007), Faller (2011), Smirnova (2013), Arregui et al (2017), among others. On such an approach, evidential ra'e and raka'e would, like typical epistemic modals, contribute meaning concerning the likelihood of the prejacent proposition p in view of what the attitude holder knows and considers evidence for p. As a particular subtype of an epistemic modal, evidential ra'e and raka'e would restrict the relevant body of knowledge to information obtained through a perceptual experience on the part of the attitude holder (with further differences between the two particles, as discussed above).…”

O Aspecto Gramatical Na Língua Mebêngôkre (Kayapó): Uma Investigação No Quadro Da Semântica Formal

“…Por outro lado, Costa (2015) destaca que em Xikrin, uma variante do Mebêngôkre, elementos no início ou final das sentenças, e até mesmo a ausência de morfemas, codificam o aspecto. Arregui et al (2012), por sua vez, afirmam que os verbos na língua não sofrem flexão para indicar tempo, modo ou aspecto; em vez disso, são partículas posicionadas no início das frases ou elementos subsequentes aos verbos que carregam esse significado.…”