Linking Valence Change And Modality: Diachronic Evidence From Hup (Amazonia)

Abstract

This paper examines the historical development of modal constructions in Hup, a Nadahup (Maku) language of northwest Amazonia. Most notably, the Hup Jussive (thirdperson imperative/optative) has arguably arisen from an applicative, a typologically unusual source for a construction of this kind. In its turn, the Hup Jussive has produced an epistemic modal. These developments hinge on the remarkably polyfunctional etymon ?ūh, which has two further, apparently related functions in the language, as a nominal kin term and an Interactional (reciprocal) prefix. While the Hup case appears to be the first documented example of an applicative source for a modal, a broader typological perspective suggests that valence-changing operations are in fact a relatively natural step in the grammaticalization of obligation modals, which often involves the introduction and subsequent backgrounding of a participant. The Hup case contributes to our understanding of the diachronic origins of modals and of the functional links be...