Abstract
A corpus-based study of a dedicated deontic possibility modal in Latvian focuses on its impersonal variety with a non-canonical subject in the dative. Normally, drīkstēt ‘may’ and other possibility modals have nominative subjects, while dative subjects are found with expressions of necessity. As distinct from other constructions where non-canonical dative subjects are experiencers, the modals are also used with inanimate subjects.A frequent ellipsis of lexical verbs in the impersonal uses of drīkstēt not only reflects the informal style of the construction but also points to the Russian možno / nel’zja as a possible source, especially when combined with an object in the accusative referring to food. The Russian construction has a meaning of deontic possibility, but its use is restricted to animate subjects. The article claims that the animacy restriction was lifted in Latvian under the influence of the necessity modals in contexts of prohibition.
Highlights
A corpus-based study of a dedicated deontic possibility modal in Latvian focuses on its impersonal variety with a non-canonical subject in the dative
4 Conclusion The use of the dativesubject with the deontic possibility modal drīkstēt is very infrequent, which explains its absence from major works on Latvian modals
The high percentage of ellipsis confirms the informal character of the construction
Summary
Impersonal uses of modals here are understood as those with the experiencer-like subject in the dative rather than nominative, compare (1) and (2). According to Malchukov & Siewierska’s structure-based classification of impersonal constructions (2011, 2), (1) represents the type “with a subject that does not display canonical subject properties”. Another type of impersonal construction, that “with an argumental subject which is not fully referential”, as in (3), will only be mentioned in connection to the former. (1) Vecākiem nedrīkst būt pārāk parent.dat.pl neg.may.prs. be.inf too ‘Parents should not be too conservative.’. Conservative.dat.pl.m (2) Mazi bērni nedrīkst skatīties televīziju small.nom.pl.m child.nom.pl neg.may.prs. watch.inf television.acc.sg ilgāk par divām stundām dienā. I will return to the problem of dative subjects after a brief introduction into the main means of expressing modality in Latvian
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