Modality and Reanalyzed Structure of V-te-miro Conditional Imperatives

Abstract

V-te-miro conditional imperatives are characterized by imperative form and conditional meaning. This form–meaning discrepancy is considered in terms of degrees of modality and subordination. The claim is that V-te-miro conditional imperatives, unlike other imperative forms, have features of a low degree of typical imperative modality and are reanalyzed as converb constructions. This reveals that the conditional implication of V-te-miro conditional imperatives is constructional meaning, whereas that of other types of imperative forms is induced pragmatically. Regarding the correspondence of imperatives and subordinate clauses, the proposed reanalysis of V-te-miro conditional imperatives as converb constructions makes a finer classification on the clausal level and suggests coordinate–subordinate continuity on the sentential level. In addition, the present study can offer a new direction for historical investigations into the evolution of V-V complexes into converb constructions.