Autor según el artículo: Castroviejo, Elena; Oltra-Massuet, Isabel
Departamento: Estudis Anglesos i Alemanys
Autor/es de la URV: Oltra Massuet, Maria Isabel
Palabras clave: Teoría lingüística Semántica Imperfective Epistemic modality Circumstantial modality Capacities Actuality entailment Abilitative modality
Resumen: This paper is concerned with the semantics of Spanish ser capaz 'be capable' (henceforth SC). Specifically, it aims to account for the distribution SC displays and the range of meanings it expresses in the realm of abilities, viewed as kinds of dispositions. We put forth the following generalization: Whenever imperfective aspect interacts with SC, two possible readings arise, one that is purely abilitative and another one that expresses an accidental or unpredictable state of affairs. Our claim is that both interpretations derive from a circumstantial modal base that includes the subject's inner circumstances, albeit with a different ordering source that is brought about via the interaction of imperfective aspect and the syntax-semantics of the modal. Thus, we propose that the purely abilitative SC contains an ordering source that ranks as better worlds those in which the subject appeals to her strength of the body, intellect or character; the accidental reading is the result of covert movement of the adjective capaz 'capable' over the imperfective-bearing copula ser 'be', which triggers a change of ordering source in the modal.
Áreas temáticas: Linguistics and language Linguistics Language and linguistics Language & linguistics Filologia, lingüística i sociolingüística
ISSN: 23971835
Direcció de correo del autor: isabel.oltra@urv.cat
Identificador del autor: 0000-0003-2802-3856
Fecha de alta del registro: 2024-10-12
Versión del articulo depositado: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
URL Documento de licencia: https://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/
Referencia al articulo segun fuente origial: Glossa. An Ambilingual Interdisciplinary Journal. 3 (1): 131-
Referencia de l'ítem segons les normes APA: Castroviejo, Elena; Oltra-Massuet, Isabel (2018). Generic and action-dependent abilities in Spanish 'Be capable'. Glossa. An Ambilingual Interdisciplinary Journal, 3(1), 131-. DOI: 10.5334/gjgl.495
Entidad: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Año de publicación de la revista: 2018
Tipo de publicación: Journal Publications