What is an epistemic qualification?

Definition
	An epistemic qualification is a signal of the degree of certainty the speaker has for the proposition expressed by his or her utterance.

Examples (English)
	Here are some examples of epistemic qualifications:
	Expressions of epistemic modality certainly hope know perhaps think

Kinds
	Here are some kinds of epistemic qualification:
	What is a moderate epistemic qualification? What is a strong epistemic qualification? What is a weak epistemic qualification?

Source
	Caton 1981:87–88

Context for this page:

Concept module: epistemic qualification
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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