| PhD: Introduction |
| Here follows some of the conclusions of my thesis, The moods in Homeric Greek: a synchronic analysis from a diachronic perspective, which I then wrote for my book The Moods in Homeric Greek (CUP). Certain items in the text are linked to diagrams or examples, which will show in the bottom pane if you hover your mouse over them. This summary is of necessity very brief, and much of the supporting data cannot be shown. |
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| Palmer in the 1986 edition of his important
Mood and Modality calls the sphere of modality 'largely unfamiliar' to
linguists. Since that time many scholars have analysed the modality
of many different languages. The modal system of Ancient Greek must
be reanalysed in the light of these studies. |
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| My study updates the terminology used in traditional accounts
but also, by going back to the individual constructions, suggests a new and different map of the meanings
of the mood and the relationships between them. My conclusions also have important
ramifications for the understanding of modality in general, as previous
studies have concentrated on the use of modal verbs in English. |
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