Zero-marking of evidentiality
Abstract
This chapter discusses languages where zero codes at least one evidential value. Functionally, zero usually stands for either direct evidence or evidence whose nature is contextually clear, while hearsay evidence is usually among the explicitly coded evidence types. The chapter shows that the zero-coding of direct evidence is not a coincidence: direct evidence constitutes the default and least complex evidence type. It is, for example, easiest to make claims based on direct evidence, and the speaker is expected to use the most direct evidence available for his/her claims.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Syntax
Semantics
Linguistic Variation
Categorization
perception
and language
Language
Discourse
Communication Strategies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Routledge eBooks
- Pages
- 309–331
- Publication date
- 15 January 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter