Indexation of modalation levels of finite verbs in peripheral zone of introductory-modal units

Abstract

The object of this research is the linguistic mechanism of modalation in Russian language that produces lexical-semantic expressions of subjective modality of expression, and more extensively – of the text. Modalation is understood as a special type of functional and functional-semantic transposition of linguistic units from different parts of speech and inter-part-of-speech semantic-syntactic classification of introductory-modal words and expressions. The subject of this research is the levels of correspondence of differential signs of linguistic unit (verb), explicating in typical context a certain level of separation from the initial class (A) and convergence with the derivative class (B), deferential signs of prototypical (nuclear) representatives of class A and class B. Methodological framework contains the research of Russian and foreign author on the theory of parts of speech and syncretism in grammatical structure of a language. For determination of gradual form of modalation of the finite forms of verbs, the study applies oppositional method that allows describing on the scale of transitivity the different stages of their functional and functional-semantic transposition into the introductory-modal units. The index number calculation of correspondence of modalates to prototypical (nuclear) verbs and introductory-modal words and expressions is conducted using the indexing method. The scientific novelty is defined by the fact that this work is firs to carry out indexing of correspondence of the peripheral deverbative modalates (“it is said”) to prototypical finite verbs (“are saying”) and prototypical devebative introductory-modal units (“perhaps”). As a result, it is established that in periphery zone of introductory-modal words and expressions, the modalate “it is said” shows 72% congruence (similarities and differences) with nuclear finite verbs (“are saying”) and 54% to nuclear deverbative introductory-modal words (“it seems”, “perhaps”).