On the Relation between Inference and Epistemics in the Verb Paradigm of the Kartvelian Languages

Abstract

The verb paradigm of the Kartvelian languages enables us to draw interesting conclusions regarding the interrelationship between inference and epistemic modality. The paper analyzes the evidential perfect tenses common for all Kartvelian languages. The paper also focuses on certain organic imperfect evidential verb forms peculiar to the Megrelian and Svan languages. The issue of relation between inferential evidentiality and epistemics in the Kartvelian languages may be formulated as follows: a) Not every verb expressing inferential evidentiality is capable of expressing epistemic modality, b) All the verbs expressing epistemic modality are necessarily evidential.