Deicticity of Epistemic Markers in German

The article considers the category of epistemicity as a deictic one and analyses German epistemic markers in terms of their closeness to the speaker, i.e. from deicticity. The deictic features of epistemic modality are determined by three factors. First of all, the speaker emphasizes a certain degree of probability which belongs to the deictic field. Secondly, in some cases, epistemic markers include an implicit pointing at the speaker who is a source of information (direct evidentiality because speakers make a conclusion based on their own experience or knowledge). Thirdly, epistemic markers facilitate the actualization of a speech situation because situativity is an essential feature of deictic elements. These three factors allow concluding that markers of epistemic modality belong to the sphere of modal deicticity and in some cases to personal deicticity as well (in cases of multiplane deixis). Speech and narrative modes can be considered to be an indicator to show the degree of closeness to the speaker. According to E.V. Paducheva, in the speech mode, the speaker's role is fulfilled by the actual speaker. Dependent clauses are not heterogeneous: we can differentiate between illocutive dependent clauses (close and medial deictic elements cannot be used in such kind of clauses) and illocutive independent clauses (close and medial deictic elements can be used in such kind of clauses). For example, such factive predicates as leugnen, bedauern, bereuen in the matrix clause do not allow the usage of deictic elements in the dependent clause whereas verbs of speaking make it possible. According to E.V. Paducheva, in the narrative mode, the role of the speaker is fulfilled by one of the characters or by the narrator. Consequently, to determine the degree of the closeness of epistemic markers to the speaker, they are analysed in three modes: (1) in the speech (dialogue) mode and in their usage in illocutive independent clauses to encode the attitude of the speaker; (2) in the speech and narrative modes and in their usage in illocutive independent clauses to encode the attitude of the speaker or of one of the characters; (3) in all the three modes without any restriction - in any dependent clause and in any mode. The analysis of the examples indicates that epistemic markers can be divided into three groups: - close deictics: Verumfocus and discourse particles which express the speaker's attitude; - medial deictics: modal particles and modal verbs in the second (epistemic) meaning -their feature is that they can express the position not only of the speaker but also of a third person; - remote deictics: modal words with epistemic and evidential semantics. They can be used in any mode as well as in dependent clauses without any restrictions.

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