Epistemic prometer and Full Deontic Modal Verbs

Abstract. Spanish prometer 'promise', permitir 'permit' and obligar 'oblige' are considered modal verbs. In their dcontic senses they behave syntactically as control verbs. This property is maintained in non-deontic permitir and obligar, but not in non-deontic/?ro/ne/cT, which shows some features of a raising verb. Non-deonticpermitir and obligar are causatives of alethic modalities (lx makes it possible/necessary for y to F(y,...y)t while non-deontic^romerer is epistemic ('it is highly likely that I'(x,...)*). Non-deontic senses of the three verbs have in common the non-intentionality of the participant referred to by the subject in the main clause.