REALIS STATUS AS MESSAGE-BASED INTERPRETATION: A PRAGMATIC APPROACH TO MOOD AND MODALITY

Abstract. This paper explores the phenomenon of realis status in natural languages, focusing on the claim that its identification should not rely solely on linguistic markers but rather on the communicative messages conveyed in discourse. Drawing on Palmer (2012), Lu (2017), De Vries et al. (2012), and Rasulov (2023), the study argues that realis/irrealis distinctions operate at the intersection of linguistic meaning and pragmatic inference. The findings demonstrate that confusion between these two dimensions often leads to misinterpretation of the speaker’s intended meaning. Methodological implications for studying realis in English and Uzbek are also discussed.

Not yet translated