Abstract
Modal verbs are typically used in expressing conditional situations and events. This research aims at investigating into the history of modal verbs in Persian from Old to Modern period. Based on the written data related to Old Persian, this language lacks any modal verb. In this period of Persian, conditional events and situations are expressed by other means, including certain verb moods and adverbs. In uncertain periods of Middle Persian four main verbs related to Old Persian had been implemented in new capacities, known as modal verbs, to express modalized events and situations. In Modern Persian, only two of the four Middle Persian modal verbs, namely, tavǎnestan and bǎyestan, plus a new modal verb called šodan are used in expressing different kinds and degrees of modality. However, it was revealed that the range of meanings expressed by Modern Persian modals is not as diverse as those used in Middle Persian.
Highlights
An event or a situation can be expressed either conditionally or unconditionally
First we searched most authentic written texts related to Old Persian to see if this period of Persian contains any modal verbs
According to the data related to Old Persian it was proved that Old Persian lacked any modal verbs
Summary
An event or a situation can be expressed either conditionally or unconditionally. Consider the following pairs, for instance: 1) She writes the letter. 2) She must write the letter. In a vast number of languages, there are a limited number of verbs which are used in expressing modality. As Huddleston and Pullum (2002) maintain, in different languages of the world there are concepts such as tense, aspect, mood, voice and modality which would be expressed by means other than lexical verbs. In a vast majority of languages there are a limited number of verbs, known as auxiliaries, which are used to express the above concepts. Such verbs were, in the remote past, among lexical verbs whose roles as main verbs necessarily changed to auxiliary roles. The focus of this paper will be on the history of modal auxiliaries in Persian
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