Emotions of the Other : Comparing systems of modality in French and Italian

Abstract

The subjunctive in French and Italian can be used to express emotions. This contribution discusses modal usage of the subjunctive in French as different from Italian.

The usage of the subjunctive in French follows grammatical rules more mechanically than in Italian though there are situations in which the modal potential of the French subjunctive is activated. In Italian, the relation between the subjunctive and indicative stands for a semantic opposition more often than in French.

Keywords

• emotions
• subjunctive
• semantic opposition
• modality