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Dear Jussi,<br>
<br>
interesting question, and complicated because it is both an
empirical question and relates to the definition of 'mood'. Since
this is a grammatical concept, it is of necessity hybrid, i.e. it
comprises structural and functional criteria. Both sets should be
homogeneous in order to create a unified concept.<br>
<br>
As for structural criteria, you might define 'mood' in such a way
that whatever is marked on non-finite verb forms is not a mood. It
may then turn out that you used a structural criterion which lacks a
straightforward functional correlate; i.o.w., that you delimited the
concept in an arbitrary way.<br>
<br>
If, on the other hand, your research interest is about mood
phenomenology, you may start with a concept that is rather liberal
on the structural side. But then you have to operationalize the
functional criteria composing your concept in such a way that you
can recognize a mood wherever it occurs, even in a non-finite verb
form. If the functional criteria composing the concept of mood lack
a common denominator, you can expect to also find heterogeneity on
the structural side. 'Mood' is such a concept whose functional side
is not unified. (Think of the various subdivisions of 'subjective'
vs. 'objective mood' etc.)<br>
<br>
This being said, another morphological category which is
functionally a mood and structurally coded on non-finite verbs is
the Latin gerundive (distinct from the gerund). It is only found in
verbal adjectives and - in many, though not all of its uses -
conveys debitive mood.<br>
<br>
A potentially fruitful approach might therefore be: Classify moods
found in languages by the structural criterion of their
morphological locus and then look, in a semasiological perspective,
what these morphological categories express. If you are lucky, it
may turn out that only a subset of moods is coded on non-finite
verbs and that there is a common functional denominator for this
subset.<br>
<br>
Best,<br>
Christian<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<p style="font-size:90%">Prof. em. Dr. Christian Lehmann<br>
Rudolfstr. 4<br>
99092 Erfurt<br>
<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Deutschland</span></p>
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