Expression of Probable Modality in Modern Political Discourse: Ranking and Peculiarities of Expression

Abstract

The article studies a
multilevel interpretation of expressions with modal meaning of probability. Two
aspects are taken into account: 1) expression of probable meaning and a number of
options, that is a consequence of modal shifts, creation of contaminated (probable and
accompanying) modal meanings due to situational and pragmatic conditions of
communication; 2) study of probable modality in the discourse-centric aspect, with
an emphasis on specific situations of communication of politicians, their
communicative intention, purpose of communication, etc. These qualification
principles made it possible to indicate a high level of subjectivity of the expressions
of the analyzed modal plan, their ability to characterize the entire structure and
information presented in it in general and the implementation of the semantics of
possibility, probability, assumption and doubt. Orientation to the semantic and
pragmatic load of expression of a probable modal plan led to their unification into
two groups with meanings: 1) probabilities, which explain the different level of
assumption of the speaker about a certain fact; 2) contaminated probability, which
combines several modal meanings, in particular: a) probability and debitive;
b) probability and negative; c) probable and interrogative modality (usually these are
rhetorical questions that reveal a weakening of interrogative intention); d) probable,
interrogative and hidden, somewhat discolored imperative; e) probable, negative and
emotional-evaluative modalities. During the analysis of these constructions the
attention is focused on their emotional and expressive coloring, which is mostly
negative. It is found that the marking of expressions of probable modality is
associated with different language levels. It is studied that verbs (вагатися,
видаватися, здаватися, припускати, сумніватися), verbalized adjectives
(невпевнений, непевний), modal adverbs (здається, мабуть, можливо, etc.),
particles (навряд чи, наче, неначе, неначебтo, etc.) are specialized on this function.