A Systemic Analysis of the Modality Systems of

A Systemic Analysis of the Modality Systems of English and Japanese KADOOKA Ken-Ichi Ryukoku University, Kyoto, Japan

1. Introduction Studies of the modality systems across languages: F. R. Palmer (2001) Mood and Modality | Definition of modality in Palmer (1997) Modality and the English Modals: Lyons’ (1997: 452) suggestion that modality is concerned with the ‘opinion and attitude’ of the speaker seems a fairly helpful preliminary definition. |

2. Studies of modality in Japanese Masuoka Takashi (2007) Nihongo Modality Tankyuu (A Study of Modality in Japanese) | Divided into Modality of judgment and Modality of utterance | Modality of judgment: interpretation of the proposition | Modality of utterance: how to construct a sentence |

Explanatory modality ‘no da’ Watashi no naka o fuki-nukeru |I GEN inside ACC blow-through | Kaze ga kai-ta no da. | Wind NOM write-past no-da | “watashi” ga sore o kai-ta no de wa nai. | it no-da TOPIC neg |

No-da “It is the wind which blew through me that wrote it, not myself” | “No-da” adds the nuance of emphasis | Rhetorical effect in the example, together with the personification of wind as human |

3. Definition of modality in SFL: Systemic Functional Linguistics, Halliday and Metthiessen (2014) Halliday’s Introduction to Functional Grammar | “What the modality system does is to construe the region of uncertainty that lies between ‘yes’ and ‘no’. (p. 176) | Polarity: positive or negative |

Relation of modality to polarity and mood (Halliday and Matthiessen 2014: 691, Fig. 10 -6 MODULATION ‘imperative’ type MODALIZATION ‘indicative’ type [probability] [usuality] positive [obligation] it is certainly probably possibly it must be [inclination] do! always it will be usually it may be sometimes required must do supposed will do allowed it isn’t may do don’t! negative determined keen willing

System of modality in SFL Modality type, orientation, value and polarity | Modality type: modalization, modulation | Orientation: subjective/objective, explicit/implicit | Value: median, low, high | Polarity: positive, negative |

Modalization and Modulation Modalization is an indicative type | Probability: may be | Usuality: sometimes | Modulation is an imperative type | Obligation: is wanted for | Inclination: wants to |

Examples Probability: There can’t be many candlestickmakers left. | Usuality: It’ll change right there in front of your eyes. | Obligation: The roads should pay for themselves, like the railways. | Inclination: Voters won’t pay taxes any more. |

Direct Negative Probability: it’s likely Mary doesn’t know | Usuality: Fred usually doesn’t stay | Obligation: John’s supposed not to go | Inclination: Jane’s keen not to take part |

Transferred negative Probability: it isn’t likely Mary knows | Usuality: Fred doesn’t usually stay | Obligation: John’s not supposed to go | Inclination: Jane’s not keen to take part |

4. Modality system in Japanese Teruya, Kazuhiro (2007) A Systemic Functional Grammar of Japanese | Two volumes, based on the SFL framework, analyzes Japanese: ideational, interpersonal, textual metafunctions | Modality belongs to the MOOD structure, which in turn is part of the interpersonal metafunction |

EXPLN TYPE Explanation unmarked Explanation marked ‘no da’ Interrogative INDIC TYPE SUBJECT declarative Interactant PERSON Non-interactant SUBJECT PRESUMPTION explicit implicit The most general systems of indicative type (Teruya 2007: 171, figure 4. 3)

No-da in Teruya (2007) under the heading of MOOD type, indicative mood | Deicticity, explanation type, indicative type | No-da is separated from the modality system |

Modalization and Modulation Modalization: ability, usuality, probability | Modulation: necessity, obligation, permission, expectation, inclination | Compared with the English modality system in Halliday and Matthiessen (2014), ability, necessity, permission and expectation are added |

Modalization: Ability [suru] koto ga dekiru: “can (do)” | [suru] koto ga dekinai: “can’t (do)” | Huhitsuyouna toko dake o kesu koto ga | Unnecessary part only ACC erase-thing NOM | Dekimashita ka | ABLE-past INTERROGATIVE | “Were you able to erase only the part that is unnecessary? ” |

Modalization: Usuality [suru] koto ga (mo) aru: “It sometimes happens [that]” | [suru] koto wa nai: “It never happens [that]” | Ali ni atta koto ga aru no kai! | Ali DAT meet USUALITY EXPLANATIVE | “You have met Ali before? !” |

Modalization: Probability [suru] kamo shirenai: (lit) “It is not known whether = maybe” (uncertain) | [suru] to wa kagiranai: “It may not very well be [that]” | Yama ni bessou o kau koto mo dekiru | Moutain in villa ACC buy ABLE | Kamo shirenai: PROBABILITY | “I might be able to buy a villa in the mountain. ” |

Modulation: Necessity [shi] nakere ba nara nai: “will not do if it does not = must” [shi] te wa ike nai: “will not do if it does = must not” Souiu jinzai o motto sagashi-dashite, kokusai. Such person ACC more search international Gaikou ni tsukawa-nakereba naranai Diplomacy DAT use-MUST “Such a talented person must be adopted as a diplomat. ”

Modulation: Obligation [suru] beki da: “ought [to]” [suru] beki de wa nai: “not ought [to]” Chosen-jin no mondai wa Nanboku Chosen ga Koreans DAT problem NOM south-north Korea Jishuteki-ni kimeru beki da Independently decide ought to “As for the Korean problem, south and north Korea should decide on their own. ”

Modulation: Permission [shi-te] (mo) ii: “may [do]” | [shi] naku te mo ii: “It is all right not to = you need not” | Doko he itte, nani no shigoto o | Wherever to go whatever work ACC | shi-te mo ii | Do also good | “You can go wherever you like, and do whatever job you like. ” |

Modulation: Expectation [sure-ba/shita-ra/suru to] ii: “It is good [to], it would be nice [to]” [shi-nakere-ba] ii: “It is good [not to]” Karada ni shitagat-te koudou sure-ba ii Body DAT follow act do-TENTATIVE good “You can behave following your body. ”

Modulation: Inclination [suru] tsumori da: “It is my intention [that]” | [suru] tsumori de wa nai: “It is not my intention [that] | Shikashi, sore o oginau dake no kunren wa | But that ACC make-up-for only DAT training | Tsunde-iru tsumori da. | Pile-up intention | “But I think I have much training to make up for it. ” |

4. Summary Teruya’s intention of adopting more minute classification in the Japanese modality system ・ In Modalization, ability could be added in Halliday and Matthiessen (2014: 696): This [ability] is on the fringe of the modality system. ・In Modulation, it would be possible to regard that obligation were subdivided into necessity, permission and expectation.

Future subjects Evidentiality could be added to Modalization: appearance, hearsay, reasoning | Appearance: [suru] rashii (seems [that]), [shi] sou da (looks like [that]), [suru] you da (likely [that]) | Hearsay: [suru] sou da (seems [that]), [suru] to iu (is said [that]) | Reasoning: expectation [suru] hazu da (it is the normal expectation [that]) | Reason [suru] kara da (it is because [that]) | Cause [suru] tame da (it is for the sake [that]) |