Shadchina A. Textual Functions of Epistemic Modality in Old Greek Philosophical Discourse (based on Heraclites' and Plato's texts).

The thesis based on the linguistic analysis of original texts by Heraclites and Plato, investigates the distribution of modal epistemic devices across Old Greek philosophical texts. The study seeks to identify the main communicative strategies, which suggest a pragmatic framework for the functional interpretation of the Old Greek grammatical mood (indicativus irrealis, optativus, conjunctivus) and modal verbs eivmi,( e;cw( du,namai( $ev%qe,lw( bou,lomai, me,llw. The thesis proves that in addition to expressing propositional epistemic meanings, most of these modals have an interactional meaning. They reduce the illocutive force of the statement showing negative, less frequently positive politeness. Referential meaning for the cohesion purposes is rendered by particular function of optativus or indicativus obliquae and by the discourse marker ei=en. Modal semantics as an integration of language systematic and contextual meaning cannot be fully understood apart from the knowledge of historical development of modal meanings, grammaticalization and lexicalization processes, speech act type and cultural conventions in the philosophical discourse. Application of the data is important for the grammaticalization theory, interpretation of politeness phenomena, lexicology, philosophical hermeneutics and ancient culture studies.