Modality in Tae’ language: a grammatical-lexical view
Kisman Salija – Jusmianti Garing – Idawati Garim
DOI: 10.18355/XL.2017.10.04.18
Abstract
There are many ways to find modality in languages. Modality of language can be expressed through grammatical or lexical feature. However, modality in Tae’ language specifically can be described through both these features. This research aims to express the modality in Tae’ language based on grammatical-lexical point of view. This is a descriptive qualitative research using library research methods. Library research aims to get of completed and detail data. Further, this research analyzes eighteen discourses of Tae’ language consisting of folklore, fable, messages, and Tae’ specific food. The result shows that there are some features marking modality in Tae’ language that expressed through grammatical and lexical feature. Grammatical modality of Tae’ established through affixation process, i.e. prefix la-, and suffixes –ri, –ra functioning as verbs and particles. Further, modality in Tae’ is also established by lexical feature using the words melo, parallu, musti, bela, wa’ding, bang, omi, sia, kade, le’, dau, tae, tannia, saba, iake, and kumua functioning as auxiliary verbs, particles, negations, and conjunctions. Semantically, these forms mark epistemic and deontic modality in Tae’ language. Epistemic and deontic modality in Tae’ describe as declarative, subjunctive, dubitative, imperative, desiderative and volition, interrogative, and possibility form.
Key words: modality, epistemic, deontic, Tae’s language, grammatical-lexical view