What is evidentiality?

Definition
	Evidentiality is an epistemic modality that connotes the speaker's assessment of the evidence for his or her statement.
	An evidential is a form, such as a verbal affix, that is a grammatical expression of evidentiality.

Kinds
	Here are some kinds of evidentiality:
	What is a quotative evidential? What is a sensory evidential?

Generic
	Evidentiality is a kind of
	What is epistemic modality?

Sources
	Bybee 1985 184
	Palmer 1986 66–67
	Givón 1984 307–308

Context for this page:

Concept module: evidentiality
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): E
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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