ИЗРЕЧЕНИЯТА С КОНКЛУЗИВ В БЪЛГАРСКИЯ ЕЗИК – ИЗВОДИ, ОБОБЩЕНИЯ ИЛИ ПРЕДПОЛОЖЕНИЯ? / SENTENCES WITH INFERENTIAL FORMS IN BULGARIAN: DEDUCTIVE, INDUCTIVE OR ABDUCTIVE STATEMENTS?

Abstract

Some languages have evidential verb markers that indicate the type of inference denoted by the sentence. Bulgarian is not among them. Furthermore, conclusions drawn using the same rule of inference could be conveyed by sentences with conclusive (inferential), indicative or presumptive forms. This paper gives an account of Bulgarian sentences with inferential evidentials. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that they serve to express not only abductive, but also deductive and inductive reasoning. After an outline of the three inference types, I briefly discuss various views on their grammatical expression. I then go on to study text excerpts which allow for a clear-cut analysis of the inference type. Lastly, I consider the so-called non-inferential use of the conclusive evidential forms in an attempt to offer a possible explanation as to the common denominator of the category. Keywords: evidentiality, conclusive forms, abduction, deduction, induction