Evidentiality

Evidentiality refers to the linguistic encoding of the source of information. In linguistics, it is a grammatical category that indicates the evidence the speaker has for the statement being made, such as whether they witnessed it, heard it from someone else, inferred it from indirect evidence, or consider it to be a well-known fact. Evidentiality is distinct from epistemic modality, which deals with the speaker's assessment of the truth of a statement. While some languages have specific evidential markers, in others, evidentiality may be expressed through verb forms, adverbs, or other grammatical means.

Overview

Evidentiality is a significant feature in many languages around the world, but it is not universally grammaticalized. In languages with grammatical evidentiality, such as Tuyuca (a language spoken in Colombia and Brazil), there are often multiple evidential markers, each indicating a different source of information. For example, one marker may indicate that the information was directly observed, another that it was heard, and another that it was inferred.

Types of Evidentiality

Evidentiality can be categorized into several types, based on the source of information:

• Direct evidence: The speaker has firsthand knowledge of the event or state.
• Reported evidence: The information comes from an external source, such as another person.
• Inferred evidence: The speaker infers the information from indirect evidence.
• Assumed evidence: The information is assumed to be true based on general knowledge or belief.

Linguistic Expression

In languages with grammaticalized evidentiality, the evidential markers can appear as verb endings, separate particles, or affixes. For example, in the Quechua language, evidentiality is marked through suffixes added to verbs. In contrast, English does not have a grammaticalized system of evidentiality, but it can express similar concepts through lexical means, such as adverbs (apparently, evidently) or modal verbs (must, might).

Evidentiality and Epistemic Modality

While evidentiality and epistemic modality are related, they serve different functions. Evidentiality is concerned with the source of information, whereas epistemic modality expresses the speaker's degree of certainty about the information. Some languages, like Bulgarian and Turkish, have grammatical markers that combine both evidentiality and epistemic modality.

Cultural and Cognitive Aspects

The presence and importance of evidentiality in a language can reflect cultural values related to knowledge, authority, and communication. In societies where evidentiality is grammatically marked, there may be a greater emphasis on the source and reliability of information. Evidentiality can also influence cognitive processes, affecting how speakers of different languages perceive and categorize information.

See Also

• Linguistic relativity
• Semantics
• Pragmatics
• Syntax