ABSTRACT
Sentences are commonly thought to comprise three components, the propositional, the functional, and the expressive, though the terms are by no means self-explanatory. To illustrate the first component, we may refer to semantic elements shared by the English sentences “You went” (Arabic ruḥt), its interrogative counterpart “Did you go?” (Arabic ruḥt, with rising tone), and imperatival “Go!” (Arabic ruuḥ (s.m.)), which may be symbolized, as far as English is concerned, by the use of a pronominal form and the generalized verbal infinitive, i.e. you go. In order to produce intelligible utterances, other semantic units e.g. past must be added, so that “You went” may be symbolized (you + go + past), “Did you go?” (you + go + past + question), and “Go!” (you + go + command). In addition, one must consider the functional aspect of sentences, which concerns the uses to which they are put in satisfying the communicative intent of speakers. As far as modality is concerned, a basic distinction is drawn between, on the one hand, the use of unqualified or categorical assertions, e.g. -F E saafir Lev saafαr “he went, travelled”, and, on the other hand, variously qualified or tentative expressions as to the factuality of the events, habits, states, processes, etc. covered by the term “proposition”, e.g. (with the Egyptian verb form in illustration)
yimkin saafir “He may have gone”
laazim saafir “He must have gone”
mumkin saafir “He could have gone”
min ilmuḥtamal innu(h) saafir “It’s possible he went” etc.
