A Study On Modality System In Shantou Downtown Dialect

The thesis analyses pairs of modalities in Shantou downtown dialect under asynchronic perspective and defines their grammatical meaning. Since the modalitiesin Shantou downtown dialect are ample and their inner distinctions are slight, thethesis will make inner comparisons for the synonymous modalities so that we canreveal the usages and slight distinctions of modalities in Shantou Dialects. Under acomparison with mandarin, we can discover the features of Shantou downtowndialects. The study shows: Among10pairs of main modalities in Shantou dialect，theones which represent subjective ability are解/□mboi25-31,有变/无变,V解/□mboi25C,敢/唔敢.The ones which represent subjective wills are爱/,有爱/无爱. Theones which represent objective necessity are解/□mboi25-31. The ones which representobjective existence are有/无、解/□mboi25-31. The ones which represent objectiveallowance are好[ho52]/孬[mo52]、有好/无好. The ones which represent objectivepossibility are解得/□mboi25-31得. The ones which represent objective needs are着/免. The ones which represent subjective consent are好[hau213]/唔好[hau21]. Theyfunction respectively, which form the distinctive modality system of Shantoudowntown dialect.