Causality and Modality in Language : Lessons from Teochew

This book offers a innovative exploration of the intricate interplay between causality and modality through a comprehensive formal semantics analysis of causal relations encoded in causative constructions.

This book offers a innovative exploration of the intricate interplay between causality and modality through a comprehensive formal semantics analysis of causal relations encoded in causative constructions. It addresses foundational questions about causation within theoretical linguistics, philosophy, and cognitive science. By integrating Modal Semantics and Event Semantics, it illuminates how language encodes complex causal relations with remarkable precision, revealing the subtle ways in which diverse causal dimensions reflect human cognition. Drawing on data from periphrastic causatives in Teochew—an understudied Southern Min language, this volume presents innovative analyses of four dimensions of causality: direct vs. indirect, deterministic vs. probabilistic, attitude-bearing vs. attitude-neutral, and permissive vs. non-permissive. It also proposes a causal ontology intended as a blueprint for future cross-linguistic studies. The book bridges theoretical insights with rich empirical evidence, while engaging with classic philosophical discussions. This volume is essential for scholars and graduate students in linguistics, philosophy, and cognitive science, offering interdisciplinary perspectives on the nature of causation.