Volitive modality (abbreviated VOL) is a linguistic modality that indicates the desires, wishes or fears of the speaker. It is classified as a subcategory of deontic modality.
Realisation in speech
Volitive moods are a category of grammatical moods that are used to express volitive modality. Examples are the optative, desiderative and imprecative moods. However, many languages (like English) have other ways to express volitive modality, for example modal verbs ("Wish that you were here!", "May he live forever!").
Esperanto
Esperanto has a volitive verb form that is formed by adding a -u to the verb stem and used to indicate that an action or state is desired, requested, ordered, or aimed for. The verb form is formally called volitive, but in practice, it can be seen as a broader deontic form, rather than a pure volitive form, since it is also used to express orders and commands besides wishes and desires.
Examples:
- Venu. ― "Come." (a request or command)
- Donu ĝin al mi. ― "Give it to me." (a request or command)
- Ni faru tion. ― "Let's do that." (a desire or aim)
- Mi iru dormi. ― "I ought to go to sleep." (expresses the desirability of the action)
- Via infano sukcesu en la vivo. ― "May your child be successful in life." (a wish or desire)
- Mi volas, ke vi helpu min. ― "I want you to help me." (a desire)
- Ŝi petas, ke mi silentu. ― "She asks that I be silent." (a request)
See also
References
- ^ Loos, Eugene E.; Anderson, Susan; Day, Dwight H. Jr.; Jordan, Paul C.; Wingate, J. Douglas (eds.). "What is volitive modality?". Glossary of linguistic terms. SIL International. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
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Wennergren, Bertilo. "Vola modo – U-finaĵo". Plena Manlibro de Esperanta Gramatiko. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
U-formo montras, ke la ago aŭ stato ne estas reala, sed dezirata, volata, ordonata aŭ celata.
[a U form shows that the action or state is not real, but desired, wanted, ordered, or aimed for.] - Kalocsay, Kálmán; Waringhien, Gaston (1985). Plena Analiza Gramatiko (PDF). Rotterdam: Universal Esperanto Association. p. 133. ISBN 9789290170327.
- Wennergren, Bertilo. "Finitivaj verboj: Volitivo (imperativo)". lernu!. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
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