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A Grammar of Hokkaido Ainu

Knowledge base · Part XIV — Tense, Aspect, Mood, and Modality

119. Epistemic Modality, Dubitative, Intentive, and Irrealis

How does Hokkaido Ainu express epistemic probability, dubitative, intentive, and irrealis modalities?

北海道アイヌ語はどのようにして認識的確率、疑念、意図、非現実のモダリティを表現するか？

Probability nankor, the dubitative ya, intentive kusu ne, and counterfactual/irrealis interactions, plus the modal–evidential boundary.

candidate topic from the first edition topic:tam/epistemic-irrealis-modality read this topic as text

30claims
86statements
15sources
8examples
7sections
62first-edition sentences

Local network

The chapter, its sections, the sources it cites, the chapters it cross-references, the forms it mentions most, and the claims grouped under it with the sources that assert, propose, doubt or reject each.

Related chapters

Forms mentioned

nankor 6kusu ne 6ruwe ne 5kusu 5manu 4a 3ne 3*ruwe ne kusu ne 3rusuy 3aan 2na 2kusu ne ruwe ne 2hawe ne 2easirki 1yak pirka 1yakka pirka 1iteki … somo eci=ki nankor na 1nankor na 1nankonna 1kus 1kusune 1oasi 1tane 1etokus 1etokoyki 1arparusuy 1iperusuy 1kuni 1a=an kuni uske 1somo ki ruwe ne 1ruwe ne kusu 1

Claims

A claim is one proposition; under it stand the statements of each source, with the stance that source takes. Claims are grouped by a model from the extracted statements and carry that status until reviewed.

  1. The auxiliary anan expresses confirmation of a past state or event ('was indeed / had been').
    助動詞 anan は過去の事態の確認（「〜だったのだ」）を表す。
    form-function ainu all anan
    asserts sato2008
  2. The light noun pe/p expresses assertive modality or pragmatic imperative.
    形式名詞pe/pは断定のモダリティまたは語用論的命令を表す。
    form-function hokkaido generic pep
    asserts bugaeva2016
  3. The light noun kat-u expresses assertive modality.
    形式名詞kat-uは断定のモダリティを表す。
    form-function hokkaido generic kat-u
    asserts bugaeva2016
  4. The light noun hi expresses assertive modality.
    形式名詞hiは断定のモダリティを表す。
    form-function hokkaido generic hi
    asserts bugaeva2016
  5. A predicate may be especially asserted or emphasized by employing the verb ki 'do' as an auxiliary.
    述語は、動詞 ki（する）を助動詞として用いることで特に断定または強調されうる。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai generic ki
    asserts refsing1986
  6. The restrictive postposition ka is often interpolated between the main verb and the assertive auxiliary ki to strengthen the emphasis.
    強調を強めるために、本動詞と断定の助動詞 ki の間に限定の後置詞 ka がしばしば挿入される。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai usually kaki
    asserts refsing1986
  7. When parallel verb expressions are asserted with ka ki, the inclusive meaning of ka is clearly demonstrated.
    並列する動詞表現が ka ki によって断定される場合、ka の包含的意味が明確に現れる。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai generic kaki
    asserts refsing1986
  8. The assertive auxiliary ki primarily affects the verb expression of which it forms a part, whereas an assertive sentence-final form evaluates the sentence as a totality.
    断定の助動詞 ki はそれが一部を成す動詞表現を主に作用対象とするのに対し、断定の文末形式は文全体を一単位として話し手のさらなる評価の対象とする。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai generic ki
    asserts refsing1986
  9. The construction [finite verb + noyne + (an / siran / humas)] expresses 'it seems that ~' or 'it looks like ~'.
    「動詞人称形＋noyne＋(an, siran, húmas)」の形式で，「〜するらしい，〜するようだ」という意味を表す。
    form-function all noyneansiranhumas
    asserts sato2008

Sections

·

The epistemic and irrealis modal field 7 sentences

How does Hokkaido Ainu express epistemic and irrealis modality through periphrastic auxiliaries?

nankor — epistemic probability and conjecture 8 claims ·10 sentences· 2 examples

How does Hokkaido Ainu use the auxiliary nankor to express epistemic probability or conjecture?

  1. The auxiliary nankor expresses epistemic conjecture or probability ('probably, will likely').
    助動詞 nankor は推量や蓋然性（「〜だろう」）を表す。
    form-function ainu all nankor
    asserts nakagawa2024, sato2008
  2. The particle nankor functions as a conjectural particle ('probably'), a mild command, or a rhetorical question marker.
    nankor は想像の助詞、柔らかな命令、または反語として用いられる。
    form-function nankor
    asserts kindaichi1936
  3. The forms an-ne (singular) and okai-ne (plural) serve as sentence endings of conjecture.
    an-ne（単数）および okai-ne（複数）は推量の結びとなる。
    form-function an-neokai-ne
    asserts kindaichi1936
  4. The auxiliary nankor expresses doubt about the validity of a statement, while implying that the speaker feels it to be quite probable for the statement to be or to become true.
    助動詞 nankor は陳述の妥当性に対する疑念を表すが、その陳述が真であるか真になることが十分にあり得ると話し手が感じていることを含意する。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai generic nankor
    asserts refsing1986
  5. The auxiliary nankor expresses doubt about the validity of a statement.
    助動詞 nankor は、命題の妥当性に対する疑いを表す。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai generic nankor
    asserts refsing1986
  6. When a speaker uses nankor, he implies that he feels it to be quite probable for the statement to be or to become true.
    話者が nankor を用いる場合、その陳述が真であるか、または真になることがかなり蓋然的であると感じていることが含意される。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai generic nankor
    asserts refsing1986
  7. The conjectural auxiliary 'nankor', combining with a finite verb, expresses conjecture ('probably / will ~').
    推量の助動詞 nankor は動詞人称形に後続して「～するだろう」という意味を表す。
    form-function all nankor
    asserts sato2008
  8. 'nankor' primarily expresses conjecture about future events, but can also express conjecture about present or past situations.
    nankor は未来の事象についての推量を表すが，現在や過去の事態についての推量を表す場合にも用いられる。
    distribution generic nankor
    asserts sato2008
oro ta ek nankor kusu
there LOC come probably because
‘because he will probably come there,’
ilcaa1976 SAR Kawakami Matsuko, uwepeker 7 [aa-irc/005#106]
kari e=arpa nankor na
that.way 2SG.S=go probably FIN
‘You should go that way then.’
nakagawa2024:311 SAR

kus(u) ne — prospective intentional 12 claims ·12 sentences· 2 examples

How does Hokkaido Ainu express prospective intentional meaning using the construction kusu ne?

  1. The combination of the conjunctionalizer kusu with the auxiliary verb ki expresses a stronger intention than rusuy.
    接続詞化辞 kusu と動詞 ki の結合は、rusuy よりも強い話者の意図を表す。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai all kusu kikusuki
    asserts refsing1986
  2. Expressions with kusu ki may take a second-person subject in interrogative and conditional sentences.
    kusu ki を伴う表現は、疑問文および条件文において二人称主語をとることができる。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai some kusu ki
    asserts refsing1986
  3. Expressions with kusu ki cannot take an inanimate subject because a conscious agent is presupposed.
    有意識の動作主が前提とされるため、kusu ki を伴う表現は無情物の主語をとることができない。
    distribution hokkaido/southwest/shizunai none kusu ki
    asserts refsing1986
  4. The auxiliary kus(u) ne expresses the speaker's intention or volition ('intend to, will').
    助動詞 kus(u) ne は話者の意志・意図（「〜するつもりだ」）を表す。
    form-function hokkaido all kus nekusu ne
    asserts sato2008
  5. Ishi-hō expresses the speaker's intention or will.
    意志法は話者の意志を表す。
    form-function generic kusu-ne
    asserts kindaichi1936
  6. For uncertain actions such as future actions, kusu is attached to the verb.
    未来など未確定な行為の時は、動詞に kusu を付けて使う。
    form-function sakhalin generic kusu
    asserts murasaki2025
  7. The construction kusu kara expresses that an event is about to happen, is intended, or looks likely to happen.
    kusu kara は「～するところだ」「～しようとしている」「～しそうだ」を表す。
    form-function sakhalin kusu kara
    asserts murasaki2025
  8. The auxiliary verb kusu expresses intention to do something in the future ('will ~ from now on').
    助動詞 kusu は《これから～する（意志）》を表す。
    form-function sakhalin generic kusu
    asserts murasaki2025
  9. The auxiliary for the intentional mood consists of kusu in combination with the transitive verb ki 'do'.
    意志法（intentional mood）の助動詞はkusuと他動詞ki「する」の組み合わせから成る。
    form-function hokkaido/southwest/shizunai all kusuki
    asserts refsing1986
  10. A verb personal form followed by kus(u) ne expresses 'intend to, try to, or be going to'.
    動詞人称形＋ kus(u) ne で「するつもりだ, しようとする, ことになる」という意味を表す。
    form-function hokkaido generic kus nekusu ne
    asserts sato2008
  11. 'kus ne' is often followed by the sentence-final particles 'na' or 'wa' when transmitting information or appealing to the addressee.
    kus ne は聞き手に情報を伝達したり訴えかけを行う場合に用いられることが多く，終助詞 na や wa が後続することが多い。
    distribution usually kus nenawa
    asserts sato2008
  12. The use of the mood particle kusu-ne has been extended to express future tense and polite imperatives.
    法助詞kusu-neの用法は未来時制や丁寧な命令へと拡張されている。
    form-function ainu generic kusu-ne
    asserts shibatani1990
an epitta paye=an kusu ne na
one entire go.PL=4.S PURP COP FIN
‘I intend to go, spending a whole night.’
ilcaa1976 SAR Kawakami Matsuko, isoytak 2 [aa-irc/004#51]
nisatta arpa=an kusu ne na
tomorrow go=4.S PURP COP FIN
‘I will go tomorrow.’
constructed

Near-future auxiliaries: oasi, etokus, etokoyki 7 sentences· 2 examples

How does Hokkaido Ainu express stronger certainty about future events using near-future auxiliaries?

tane paye=an oasi
now go.PL=4.S will.certainly
‘I am just about to go.’
constructed
arki etokus na
come.PL be.about.to FIN
‘They are about to arrive.’
constructed

Desiderative rusuy and expectation kuni 8 sentences

How does Hokkaido Ainu express desire and expectation using the auxiliaries rusuy and kuni?

manu — reportative hedging 6 sentences· 1 examples

How does Hokkaido Ainu use the auxiliary manu to express reportative hedging or attributive meaning?

onne ne manu p
be.old COP reportedly NMLZ
‘the thing called old age’
nakagawa2024:310 SAR

Scope and the evidential interface 1 claims ·12 sentences· 1 examples

How does Hokkaido Ainu restrict the scope of epistemic and irrealis auxiliaries relative to evidential markers?

  1. The conjunctions kotom(no) and noine express 'seeming to be...' ('...rashiku').
    kotom(no) および noine は「……らしく」を意味する。
    form-function kotomkotomnonoine
    asserts kindaichi1936
kotan wente kus arki kus ne aan ru-we ne wa
village ravage PURP come.PL PURP COP PRF.MIR track-POSS COP CONJ
‘and it had turned out that they were going to come to ravage the village,’
biratori1969 SAR Kaizawa Tsurushino, Biratori [biratori/004/002#40]