Epistemic interrogatives in events anchored in the temporal anteriority

Abstract

The present study attempts to analyse the epistemic modal functionality of temporal posteriority grammemes, referred to the “non-inactual plan”, i. e. the discourse plan measured directly from the moment of enunciation. In our opinion, the invariant category values of a verbal grameme predetermine the development of their complementary and contextual functions. Therefore, the analysis focuses also on the oppositional relations and neutralizations between the categories of verb tense, plan and perspective, on the temporal semantics and the aspectual values which maintain the oppositions between the nominal forms of the verb in accordance with the interpretation of verb categories proposed by Coseriu (1976). In this particular case, the complementary values which outline the scope of our interest fall into the parameters of the possibility and the probability (Veiga, 1991; Kitova-Vasileva, 2000), i.e. conjecture and conclusion in the field of epistemic semantics, yet with an orientation to the temporal anteriority epoch i.e. there is a conjecture regarding actions marked as prior to the moment of enunciation. The syntactic realisation of the epistemic values of conjecture is outlined in the sentence patterns of epistemic interrogatives of the type [Será que + V(P.P.S.)] and [Ter(F.S. do Ind.)+ V(Part.Pass.)]. The study in this way goes beyond the semantic interpretation of the modal, temporal and aspectual values of the morphological instruments of conjecture, and follows the syntactic structure (the modus–dictum relations) also in its discourse and pragmatic value.