Documentation

Linglib.Fragments.Italian.Modals

Italian Modal Auxiliaries #

@cite{hacquard-2010} @cite{cinque-2004} @cite{hacquard-2006} @cite{rizzi-1978}

Italian modal auxiliaries dovere ('must') and potere ('can'), with their behavior under restructuring. These are the primary empirical evidence for @cite{hacquard-2006}'s event-relative analysis: when Italian modals appear in restructuring configurations (syntactically low, below AspP), they lose epistemic readings.

Italian Restructuring #

Italian potere and dovere participate in restructuring. In restructuring contexts, the modal is syntactically low — merged below AspP, with the lower verb's clitic climbing through the modal. Diagnostics:

  1. Clitic climbing: lo posso fare ('it I-can do') — clitic lo climbs past the modal (restructuring) vs posso farlo (non-restructuring).
  2. Auxiliary selection: è dovuto andare (auxiliary essere with unaccusative andare) — auxiliary matches the lower verb (restructuring) vs ha dovuto andare (non-restructuring, default avere).

When restructured (low): only root readings (circumstantial, deontic). When non-restructured (high): epistemic readings available.

An Italian modal auxiliary entry with position-sensitive flavor.

Instances For
    Equations
    • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
    Instances For
      Equations
      Instances For

        Potere ('can'): restructuring modal. High: epistemic, deontic, circumstantial. Low (restructured): deontic, circumstantial only.

        @cite{rizzi-1978}; @cite{hacquard-2006}, Ch. 4:

        • "Gianni può essere intelligente" (epistemic, non-restructured)
        • "Gianni lo può fare" (root, restructured — clitic climbing)
        Equations
        • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
        Instances For

          Dovere ('must'): restructuring modal. High: epistemic, deontic, circumstantial. Low (restructured): deontic, circumstantial only.

          @cite{rizzi-1978}; @cite{hacquard-2006}, Ch. 4:

          • "Gianni deve essere a casa" (epistemic, non-restructured)
          • "Gianni deve lavorare" (deontic/circumstantial, restructured)
          Equations
          • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
          Instances For

            Restructuring diagnostics from @cite{rizzi-1978}.

            Instances For
              Equations
              • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
              Instances For

                A restructuring example: sentence + diagnostic + reading.

                Instances For
                  Equations
                  • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                  Instances For

                    Non-restructured potere — epistemic. "Gianni può essere intelligente" = Gianni may be intelligent. No clitic climbing; epistemic reading available. @cite{hacquard-2006}, Ch. 4.

                    Equations
                    • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                    Instances For

                      Restructured potere — root only. "Lo posso fare" = I can do it (clitic climbing). Clitic climbing diagnoses low position; epistemic unavailable. @cite{rizzi-1978}; @cite{hacquard-2006}, Ch. 4.

                      Equations
                      • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                      Instances For

                        Non-restructured dovere — epistemic. "Gianni deve essere a casa" = Gianni must be at home. Epistemic necessity. @cite{hacquard-2006}, Ch. 4.

                        Equations
                        • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                        Instances For

                          Restructured dovere — deontic/root only. "È dovuto andare a casa" = He had to go home. Auxiliary change (essere from unaccusative andare). @cite{rizzi-1978}; @cite{hacquard-2006}, Ch. 4.

                          Equations
                          • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                          Instances For
                            Equations
                            • One or more equations did not get rendered due to their size.
                            Instances For

                              The entry's position-sensitive flavors match EventRelativity's content licensing predictions.