A closer look at subjectification in the grammaticalization of English modals

This paper takes a closer look at subjectification in the grammaticalization of English modals, using a case study on the root usage of must in Early Modern English (EModE) and later versions of English and its ancestral form mo(o)t in Middle English (ME). This contribution has the following three aims: (i) to quantitatively show that the root must underwent subjectification through its grammaticalization from the root mo(o)t, (ii) to propose a pragmatic motivation for this subjectification, with a special focus on instances of mo(o)t in the construction expressing a speaker’s prayer, and (iii) to operationalize subjectification in terms of the person distribution of subjects in sentences with mo(o)t and must.