Le traitement des modes dans la tradition linguistique syriaque : l’ordre et la requête

Abstract

This article examines the development of the concept of “mode” of discourse in the Syriac grammatical and logical tradition, starting from the reception of Greek models, of grammatical, logical and rhetorical origin, but also from a native Syriac orthoepic elaboration. The analysis of Syriac sources shows that it is often difficult to distinguish between the modes of the verb, in a grammatical sense, and the modes or modalities of discourse, conceived from the semantic, pragmatic or prosodic point of view. Among the modes, particular attention is paid to the imperative, for which we observe, over the centuries, an increasingly articulated morphological treatment, and a clearer separation between the domains of the imperative verbal mode and the discourse modality expressing order or command.

Keywords

• imperative
• modality
• modes of discourse
• Syriac grammar
• Syriac logic
• Syriac rhetoric