What is deontic modality?

Definition
	Deontic modality is modality that connotes the speaker's
	degree of requirement of desire for, or commitment to the realization of
	the proposition expressed by the utterance.

Examples (English)
	You may go at four o’clock. All elections shall take place on schedule.

Kinds
	Here are some kinds of deontic modality:
	What is commissive modality? What is directive modality? What is volitive modality?

Generic
	Deontic modality is a kind of
	What is mood and modality?

Sources
	Crystal 1985 88
	Chung and Timberlake 1985 246–247
	Palmer 1986 10–11, 15, 96–97, 115

Context for this page:

Concept module: deontic modality
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): D
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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