What is volitive modality?

Definition
	Volitive modality is a deontic modality that expresses the speaker’s attitude of hope, wish, or fear concerning the proposition expressed by the utterance.

Kinds
	Here are some kinds of volitive modality:
	What is imprecative mood? What is optative mood?

Generic
	Volitive modality is a kind of
	What is deontic modality?

Sources
	Pei and Gaynor 1954 229
	Palmer 1986 116–117

Context for this page:

Concept module: volitive modality
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): V
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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