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In:Semantic-Pragmatic Change from Intersubjective to Textual Meanings
Edited by Giulio Scivoletto and Ryo Takamura
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 353] 2025
► pp. 17–39

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Chapter 1
Discourse orientation and extreme subjectification

Published online: 27 June 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.353.01nar
Abstract
Starting out from a general model of discourse orientation in semantic change (Narrog 2012a, Narrog and Heine 2021), this chapter inquires into a specific process of speaker-orientation, labeled as ‘extreme subjectification’ by Langacker (2003). That process has been applied mainly to modal and temporal meanings. The goal is to investigate whether the concept, which has been proposed from a synchronic perspective, is also valid diachronically. Data from English, German and Japanese modal markers show that while the concept basically also holds from a historical perspective, it may apply not to all modal categories. Furthermore, I point out that there is semantic change of discourse orientation that goes beyond ‘extreme subjectification’.
Article outline
  • 1.Speaker-orientation, hearer orientation, discourse orientation
  • 2.Revisiting Langacker’s “extreme subjectification”
  • 3.Case analysis
    • 3.1Prediction and weak necessity
    • 3.2Strong necessity
    • 3.3Beyond “extreme subjectification”
  • 4.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations in glosses
  • Other abbreviations
  • References
References (63)
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