PRIDEVI SA ZNAČENJEM OPTATIVNE MODALNOSTI
ADJECTIVES EXPRESSING OPTATIVE MOOD

Summary/Abstract: In this paper we analyze adjectives expressing optative mood in contemporary Serbian. Theseadjectives involve elements of desideration. They express the subject's desire or intention to perform some act. The main aims of this paper are to describe the modal situation in which these adjectives act as lexical signals of optative mood as well as to describe somecharacteristics of their lexical meaning. The analysis shows a high level of grammaticalization concerning this type of mood. Adjectives expressing optative mood are used in precisely defined syntactical structures. They occur within the sentence predicate and have obligatory complements, which represent the proposition or dictum of the modal situation. The analysis of the semantic structure shows that the main semantic elements are desire, will and intention to perform some action. The analysis based on the theory of prototypes shows that prototypical adjectives expressing optative mood are eager, willing and determined.

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