Epistemic Modality, Language, and Conceptualization HUMAN COGNITIVE PROCESSING is a forum for interdisciplinary research on the nature and organization of the cognitive systems and processes involved in speaking and understanding natural language (including sign language), and their relationship to other domains of human cognition, including general conceptual or knowledge systems and processes (the language and thought issue), and other perceptual or behavioral systems such as vision and non-verbal behavior (e.g. gesture). ‘Cognition’ should be taken broadly, not only including the domain of rationality, but also dimensions such as emotion and the unconscious. The series is open to any type of approach to the above questions (methodologically and theoretically) and to research from any discipline, including (but not restricted to) di¤erent branches of psychology, arti¼cial intelligence and computer science, cognitive anthropology, linguistics, philosophy and neuroscience. It takes a special interest in research crossing the boundaries of these disciplines. EDITORS Marcelo Dascal (Tel Aviv University) Raymond Gibbs (University of California at Santa Cruz) Jan Nuyts (University of Antwerp) Editorial address: Jan Nuyts, University of Antwerp, Dept. of Linguistics (GER), Universiteitsplein 1, B 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium, e-mail:
[email protected] EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Melissa Bowerman (Nijmegen); Wallace Chafe (Santa Barbara, CA) Philip R. Cohen (Portland, OR); Antonio Damasio (Iowa City, IA) Morton Ann Gernsbacher (Madison, WI); David McNeill (Chicago, IL) Eric Pederson (Eugene, OR); François Recanati (Paris) Sally Rice (Edmonton, Alberta); Benny Shanon (Jerusalem) Lokendra Shastri (Berkeley, CA); Dan Slobin (Berkeley, CA) Paul Thagard (Waterloo, Ontario) Volume 5 Jan Nuyts Epistemic Modality, Language, and Conceptualization Epistemic Modality, Language, and Conceptualization A Cognitive-Pragmatic Perspective JAN NUYTS University of Antwerp JOHN BENJAMINS PUBLISHING COMPANY AMSTERDAM/PHILADELPHIA 8 TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences — Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Nuyts, Jan. Epistemic modality, language, and conceptualization : a cognitive-pragmatic perspective / Jan Nuyts p. cm. -- (Human cognitive processing, ISSN 1387-6724 ; v. 5) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Modality (Linguistics). I. Title. II. Human cognitive processing ; v. 5. P299.M6 N892 2000 415--dc21 ISBN 90 272 2357 2 (Eur.) / 1 55619 983 X (US) (alk. paper) 00-058559 © 2001 – John Benjamins B.V. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publisher. John Benjamins Publishing Co. • P.O.Box 75577 • 1070 AN Amsterdam • The Netherlands John Benjamins North America • P.O.Box 27519 • Philadelphia PA 19118-0519 • USA To the memory of Simon C. Dik And to the memory of my father, Emiel Nuyts Table of contents Transcription conventions in the experimental data