The expression of certainty and uncertainty in Italian speaking children

Abstract

Epistemic modality expresses the speaker’s attitude of certainty/uncertainty toward
the fact/event mentioned in the proposition. In conversation, the use of epistemic
modality informs the listener on how much s/he should rely on the piece
of information offered. Languages express epistemic modality in many ways. In
the Italian language epistemic modality is expressed by the modal verbs dovere
“must” and potere “may”, “can”, but also by other grammatical devices: nouns e.g.
possibilità “possibility”, adjectives e.g. possibile “possible”, adverbs e.g. possibilmente
“possibly”, forse “perhaps”. Though children’s use of modal verbs has been the
most extensively investigated issue in the study of modality acquisition, modal
verbs may not be the most frequently used linguistic means. This study investigates
the elicited production of expressions of certainty/uncertainty in typically
developing Italian children.