A Systemic-Functional Approach To Evidentiality

Evidentiality is about the speaker's expression of source of information and his commitment to the reliability of information. The linguistic forms of evidentiality are termed evidentials or evidential markers.This dissertation aims to approach evidentiality within the systemic-functional framework, which includes M.A.K. Halliday's model as well as J.R. Martin's appraisal theory, which is regarded as a new development of the systemic-functional linguistics. Although recent years have witnessed a surge of interest in evidentiality, the linguistic phenomena of evidentiality are still not dealt with as an independent category in systemic-functional linguistics. As evidentiality is a recently rising research topic, evidential studies are unavoidably in great need of further improvements. Accordingly, it is argued in this dissertation that evidential approach and the systemic-functional approach are mutually complementary in certain respects. The theoretical concern and achievements in systemic-functional linguistics may improve the "trivial" research status of evidentiality, which will be explored primarily in two respects, namely the nature of evidentiality (Chapter 4) and the interpersonal functions of evidentiality (Chapter 5). In the meantime, evidential studies may also help to improve the systemic-functional linguistics. The epistemic uncertainty in some expressions of the transitivity processes, which proves to be significant in negotiating interpersonal relationships between interlocutors, is disregarded in both Halliday's interpersonal model and Martin's appraisal theory.With a brief introduction to evidentiality and the universal and pervasive nature of evidentiality in languages, Chapter 1 provides the objectives and the general framework of this dissertation.A critical review of the study of evidentiality in Chapter 2 introduces issues concerning current studies of evidentiality, namely what is evidentiality. the defining and classifications of evidentials, and current research features and orientations, with a historical account of the development of the studies of evidentiality being the point of departure. The relationships between evidentiality, epistemic modality, andsubjectivity are also tentatively discussed here. After a critical evaluation of the present study of evidentiality, its advantages and inadequacies are revealed. Being good at detailed explanations of particular evidentials, the present studies of evidentiality seem to be weak in theoretical generalization at a metatheoretical level.As a matter of fact, the phenomenon of evidentiality is a meeting ground for different theories. Adopting different terminologies, different theories approach the phenomenon of evidentiality from different perspectives aiming at different theoretical goals. Halliday approaches the phenomenon of evidentiality from the perspectives of the transitivity system, modality, and interpersonal metaphors. With a brief introduction to the appraisal theory initiated by Martin and some others of the SFL School, a tentative comparison with evidentiality is made. The systemic-functional approach, either Halliday's model or Martin's model, has its advantages and disadvantages in handling the evidential phenomena. It has been argued in this chapter (Chapter 3) that the current evidential approach and the Hallidayan approach are mutually complementary. The specific aspects of complementarity will then be tentatively explored.Chapter 4 offers an investigation into the nature of evidentiality within the systemic-functional framework. First, evidentiality serves as the linguistic means to reveal the relationship between language, language user and the world, reflecting the language user's epistemological stance towards the world. Second, it will be argued that evidentiality is inherently subjective. Every utterance is imprinted with the speaker's subjective point of view. Third, the nature of evidentiality lies in the fact that it reflects the dynamic properties of the verbal communication between the speaker and the hearer in specific communicative contexts. Fourth, evidentiality realizes the interpersonal meanings of language.The construction of the interpersonal metafunction in SFL seems to be comparatively inadequate as compared with the elaborations of the other two metafunctions. According to Halliday, the interpersonal meaning is mainly realized through the mood and modality system. It is proposed in this chapter (Chapter 5) that in addition to the mood and modality system, evidentiality, especially those...