Knowledge base · Part XV — Evidentiality and Mirativity · this topic as a network

125. Mirativity, Evidential Scope, and Grammaticalization to Sentence-Final Particles

How do mirativity, evidential scope, and grammaticalization to clause-final particles interact within a single evidential system?

7 sentences from 18 sources · every sentence names the pages it rests on

Mirativity and the auxiliary aan

What element expresses mirativity when evidential nominalizers do not mark surprise?

The auxiliary verb anan expresses that a fact was not understood at the time but became clear and accepted later. (Satō 2008: 79, 229) The admirative mood auxiliary is aan for singular subjects and rok'oká for plural subjects. (Bugaeva 2012: 492–493) In Chitose Ainu, the admirative mood auxiliary corresponding to Saru aan is an'an. (Bugaeva 2012: 492–493) The form a-(w)an (plural rok-okai) expresses surprise at an unexpected fact or result. (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The auxiliary verb aan denotes mirativity as an extension of its meaning. (Yoshikawa 2022: 19.5)

pirka menoko a=ne aan ru-we ne

good woman 4.A=COP MIR track-POSS COP

‘She turned out to be a beautiful woman!’

· constructed

supuya at kor sir-an ru-we ne anan

smoke rise while appearance-exist track-POSS COP MIR

‘Smoke was rising — it turned out!’

Dal Corso 2018: 327 · HK

The scope of the evidential predicate

What is the scope of an evidential predicate over the clause it closes?

paye somo ki ru-we ne

go NEG do track-POSS COP

‘(It is established that he) did not go.’

· constructed

kamuy ek ru-we ne wa paye=an

god come track-POSS COP CONJ go=4.S

‘A god came, and (we) went.’

· constructed

The grammaticalization cline

How do ordinary sensory nouns grammaticalize into clause-final evidential markers?

In the Horobetsu dialect, evidential markers have grammaticalized into forms that independently introduce adverbial clauses. (reported in Hirosawa 2026)

sinki siri suke ki wa

be.tired appearance cook do CONJ

‘Though tired, (she) cooked.’

· constructed· HOR

Double-evidential stacking

The auxiliary anan can immediately follow rok'oka in sequence. (Satō 2008: 79)

ek haw-e as ru-we ne

come haw-POSS stand track-POSS COP

‘(She) reportedly came — and so it was.’

· constructed

poro cep a=ne hum-i ne hum-i as orano

big fish 4.A=COP hum-POSS COP hum-POSS stand after

‘Feeling as though I were a great fish, and as that sensation arose —’

ILCAA Ainu materials 1976 · SAR