Evidentiality and Epistemic Modality in

Middle TibetanGuillaume Oisel

CNRS – LACITO

The 47th International Conference on Sino-Tibetan Languages and

Linguistics17-19th October 2014

Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, China

Means• This paper presents evidentiality and epistemic modality in middle Tibetan– equative (copulas) and existential verbs – auxiliary verb constructions.

• The main corpus used is the famous biography of Milarepa written around the fifteenth century.

Definition 1• Evidentiality specifies how the speaker represents the epistemological source and the access to the information (Oisel, 2013; Tournadre & LaPolla, 2014).

• There are four evidential categories which are assumptive, sensory, inference and gnomic.

Definition 2• Epistemic modality implies the speaker assesses the probability a clause is true or his commitment regarding its veracity.

• There are three epistemic modalities which are probability, high probability and improbability.

Interaction• I also show that epistemic modality is not evidentiality. But the former can interplay with the latter in Tibetan.

1. Equative verbs (copulas)

and existential verbs • identification, categorization – ‘to be’

• yin (assumptive)• lags (humilific assumptive)• yin.par.‘dug (inference)• yin.pa.‘dra (probability)• yin.las.che (high probability)• yin.par.yod.par.’dug (high probability + sensory)

• characterization, existence, possession, location – ‘to be (present), to have, to exist, to be located’

• yod (assumptive)• mchis (humilific assumptive)• ‘dug (sensory)• gda’, bdog (humilific sensory)• yod.par.‘dug (inference)• yod.par.gda’ (humilific inference)• yod.pa.yin (gnomic)• yod.pa.lags (humilific gnomic)• yod.pa.‘dra.par.‘dug (high probability + sensory)

evidential categories• assumptive (Oisel, 2013) (assumption, Aikhenvald

2004; assertive, Tournadre 2003 or factual, ibid 2008; assumptive VS factual, Oisel 2013)– corresponds to an information presented as well-known

by the speaker either because it is a personal one or he has been told. Whatever the speaker assumes the information is true and he therefore commits himself.

• sensory– indicates that the information has been seen or heard

by the speaker.

• inference – indicates that the speaker infers an information that

is being drawn from sensory traces or a reported speech that he has heard or read.

• gnomic– indicates a general truth or an information well-known

by a group of people belonging to a community sharing the same cultural values.

assumptive• gong-gi de-rnams-kyi yon.tan-ni• previously-GEN that-PL.-GEN. qualities-THEM.• sku.skye.ba mang.po-r tshogs.bsags sgrib.pa• rebirth many-OBL to accumulate(past)

obstructions • sbyangs-pa-las byung-ba-'i 'bras.bu yin• to purify(past)-NOM.-ABL. to occur(passé)-NOM.-GEN. fruits

to be

• The spiritual qualities of those who were previously described are fruits attained through the accumulation of merit and the purification of obstructions during the course of many lifetimes. (Mila, 1.1; Quintman, 2010:12)

sensory• da.dung ‘dug-gam zer • still to be-QUES. to ask • da.dung yang ‘dug zer-bas• still also to be to reply-CO.

• (“You needn’t worry about ghosts appearing in the daylight. Take a good look!) Is it still there?” “It’s still there”, called the others. (Mila 2.7) (Quintman, 2010:138)

inference• g.yon.can mi.la zer-ba-’i • cunning Milarepa to be called-NOM.-

GEN. • gog.pa.lto ma-phyid-pa zhig • stomach NEG.to be satiated-NOM ART.• yod-pa de yin-par+‘dug • to have-NOM that to be-REL.+AUX.

• That seems to be that cunning Mila who has been worn down by starvation. (Mila 2.7)

gnomic• rang.re nA.ro mai.tri-'i rgyud.pa-la • we Naropa and Maitripa-GEN. lineage-OBL.

• [...] gdams.ngag yod-pa+yin • instructions to have-REL.+AUX.

• We in the lineage of Naropa and Maitripa have an oral instruction (called ‘driving one hundred birds with a single slingshot’ through which terrible sinners may swiftly become a buddha). (Mila 2.2; Quintman 2010: 72)

different registers of language

with the evidentials • normal register :• yin, yod (assumptive)• ‘dug (sensory)• yin.par.‘dug, yod.par.‘dug (inference)• yod.pa.yin (gnomic)

• humilific :• lags, mchis (assumptive)• gda’, bdog (sensory)• yod.par.gda’ (inference)• yod.pa.lags (gnomic)

• ONLY one register with the epistemic modality• yin.pa.‘dra (probability)• yin.las.che (high probability)• yin.par.yod.par.’dug, yod.pa.‘dra.par.‘dug (high probability + sensory)

humilific (with the assumptive)

• bdag nyi.ma la.stod-nas 'ongs-pa-'i • I(humilific) Nyima Latö-ABL. to

come(past)-NOM-GEN • mi sdig.po che zhig lags-pas• man sin big ART. to

be(hum.)-CO.

• (I then told the lama:) “The man who came from Nyima Latö (i.e. me), is a terrible sinner (and requests a dharma teaching that brings about liberation in this lifetime). (Mila 2.1)

humilific versus normal register

(with the sensory)• gser gang.na gda' zhus-pas • gold where to be to

ask(past.hum.)-CO.• rnal.'byor.pa-'i bem.po-'i nang-na 'dug• yogi-GEN. cloak-GEN inside-OBL. to

be

• “Where was the gold?” I asked. “It was inside the yogin’s cloak,” replied the lama’s wife. (Mila 1.3)

epistemic modality • probability• high probability

probability• thog.mar 'dre yin-pa+'dra • at first demon to be-REL.+AUX. • snyam 'jigs-pa.las• idea to be terrified-CO.

• (When my sister saw this) she was terrified, thinking at first: “It seems to be a demon”. (Mila 2.7)

high probability (+sensory)

• ‘di phyogs-kyi mi-rnams-kyang mos.rab • this side-GEN. man-PL.-THEM. respect

• yod-pa+‘dra.bar.‘dug-pas• to have-REL.+AUX.2-CO. • rtag.tu bzhugs-na rab • always to stay(hon.)-CO. perfect

• Since people in this area seem obviously have some devotion for you, you should settle here permanently. (Mila 2.7)

2. Auxiliary Verb Constructions (AVC). The

evidentials

assumptive • a.ne-dang a.khu gnyis gcig-tu dril-nas • aunt-ASS. uncle two un-OBL. to be

united-CO.• [...] zer-ba+yin• to say-REL.+AUX.

• My uncle and aunt said in one voice together: “...”. (Mila 1.2)

sensory • yul.pa 'di.pa-s khyod 'tshol-du • inhabitant these-ERG. you to look

for(pres.)-CO. • btang-nas bsad-rting nga yang• to send(past)-CO. to kill(past)-CO. I also• gsod zer-bar+'dug-pas• to kill(pres.) to say-REL.+AUX.-CO.

• The countrymen here say they will send a party to search for you, and after they have killed you they will also kill me. (Mila 1.3) (Quintman 2010 : 37)

inference • nangs.par mi.la.ras.pa-'i rnam.thar • tomorrow morning Milarepa-GEN. life

• gsung-ba+yod.par.'dug-pas• to say(hon.pres.)-REL.+AUX. 2-CO.• nyan-du 'gro • to listen-CO. to leave(pres.)

• Hence the life of Milarepa is very likely to be told (according to the Buddha Aksobhya’s words) tomorrow morning, said one of them, I am leaving for listening to her. [Said maidens of Oddiyana who heard Aksobhya’s account] (Mila 1.1)

Interaction• between

– evidentiality and tense-aspect, – evidentiality and registers of language

•only the assumptive and the sensory are concerned with AVC. (Oisel, 2013:125-130)

– evidentiality and deixis•assumptive, mainly with the first person participant (‘subject’). BUT not only. (Oisel, 2013:130-134)

•sensory, inference and gnomic, with the OTHER participants. BUT there are exceptions due to the pragmatic. (ibid)

future + sensory :sensory inference

• re.zhig thabs ci byas-rung • by now means whatever to

do(past)-CO.• bla.ma-s khyod-la chos • Lama-ERG. you-OBL. Dharma • mi-gnang-bar+'dug-ste• NEG.-to give(hon.)-REL.+AUX.-CO.

• Whatever you may want to do by now, the lama is not going to teach you the dharma. [Said Marpa’s wife after Marpa slapped Milarepa’s face as he tried to run away.] (Mila 2.2)

Epistemic modality• probability, improbability, high probability

• Interaction between epistemic modality and sensory evidential

high probability• a.ma-dang sring.mo khams bzang • mother-ASS. younger sister health good

• dngos.nas • to be really-CO.• mthu-’i rtags mthong-las+che • magic spells-GEN. sign to see-REL.+AUX.

• Mother and younger sister, having really a good health, you very likely saw a sign of my magic spells. [Milarepa’s mother pretends to be her son who wrote the letter and saying so] (Mila 1.3) 

improbability versus

high probability (+sensory)

• de.rang mi-'ong-ba+'dra• that NEG.-to be suitable(prés.)-REL.

+AUX. • ngan.g.yo che.rab 'ong-ba+'dra.ba.'dug-pas• trick greater to be suitable(prés.)-

REL.+AUX.2-CO.

• As such thing doesn’t seem doable, a more elaborate trick will be obviously more suitable. [Milarepa’s mother just imagined her son first slashing throats of his uncle family with a stirrup. Then she thought of black magic.] (Mila 1.3)

different types of inference

• inference based on visual perception (sensory), – certainty

• V.-bar+'dug• inference based on a reported speech,

– probability• V.- ba+yod.par.'dug

• inference based on imagination (sensory), – (im)probability, high probability

• (mi-) V.-ba+'dra• V.-ba+'dra.ba.'dug

• inference based on logic– high probability

• V.- las+che

Conclusion• Evidential and Epistemic system at least since the 15th century which is not the system used in Lhasa Tibetan nowadays.

• 4 evidentials and 3 epistemic modality via equative and existential verbs as well as AVC.

• Interaction between Evidentiality and Epistemic Modality as well as tense-aspect and register of language.

• Important system and corpus which is not negligible as the life of Milarepa has been well spread during the early days of the use of printing woodblocks.

• More similar systemic works on the verb system need to be done according to the century, the dialect of the author and the genre (biography, historical texts, etc).

References• Aikhenvald, A. Y. 2004. Evidentiality. Oxford: Oxford University

Press.• De Haan, F. 1999. « Evidentiality and epistemic modality: Setting

boundaries ». Southwest Journal of Linguistics, 18, 83-101. • Hill, Nathan W. (2013) 'ḥdug

as a testimonial marker in Classical and Old Tibetan.' Himalayan Linguistics, 12 (1). pp. 1-16.

• Oisel, G. 2013. Morphosyntaxe et sémantique des auxiliaires et des connecteurs du tibétain littéraire: étude diachronique et synchronique, Doctoral dissertation, Université de la Sorbonne nouvelle-Paris III. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/91/43/93/PDF/2013PA030040.pdf

• Quintman, A. 2010. The Life of Milarepa. New York : Penguin classics.• Roberts, P.A. 2007. The Biographies of Rechungpa. The Evolution of a Tibetan

Hagiography, London/ New York: Routledge.• Tournadre, N. & Sangda Dorje, 2003. Manual of Standard Tibetan. Ithaca,

New York : Snow Lion• Tournadre & LaPolla, towards a new approach to evidentiality:

issues and directions for research, LTBA. (forthcoming). • Zeisler, B. « Evidence for the development of ‘evidentiality’, as

a grammatical category in Tibetan ». Forthcoming.