Abstract
The article deals with verba sentiendi et cogitandi (VSC) in Czech, specifically with verbs vidět [see], slyšet [hear], cítit [smell/feel/sense], vědět, znát [know] and rozumět [understand]. The basic concept is an event, the construal of which is construed by the interaction of aspectual, temporal and modal factors. The interplay of the first two factors of this factor triple has been dealt in Starý Kořánová (2022), this article focuses on modality. The following features are characteristic for the VSC verbs
- The use of VSC predicates reflects the fact that the respective sensory-cognitive activities (i.e, activities referred to by these verbs), are not subject to the experiencer's will
- We can ascertain this both by a collocation test" collocation of VSCs with the adverbs záměrně, pečlivě, do not occure, and by the fact that VSCs do not form a negative imperative or by the fact that VSCs transitive construction are not of resultative nature.
- Ability and its concrete manifestation can be expressed in some cases in Czech by different lexemes.
- The VSC verbs form a particular modal construction for expressing external conditions of perception (i.e., modality external possibility), namely be+infVSC where VSCs are mostly MI verbs
- Ability is of two kinds, basic (S1) and performance ability (S2). Basic ability is manifested through/by its performance. The morphological imperfectives of VSCs express basic ability.
- The potential for a performance ability construal is in the general sense MPs, but is very limited for VSC uvidět, uslyšet, and ucítit/pocítit. Of the morphologically perfective VSC predicates, the MP poznat is the most involved in events with the ability construal.