Deeply explored the relationship between modality and diachronic construction grammar, and analyzed how modality affects the development and changes of construction in the process of language evolution. The book demonstrates through multiple case studies how modality gradually integrates into constructions through the process of grammaticalization and has an impact on the grammatical structure of language. Meanwhile, the authors also discussed the manifestations of modality in different language and cultural contexts, and how these differences are reflected in the study of diachronic construction grammar.

1 Introduction

In the past 20 years, the theory of construction grammar has developed rapidly, and DxCG, as a new paradigm, emphasizes the network description of language changes. The study of modality is gradually receiving attention in structural grammar. The collection "Modal and diachronic construction grammar" was edited by three experts in the field, using qualitative and quantitative analysis to explore the construction and changes of modal categories in multiple languages, expanding the scope of construction grammar research and deepening modal research, which has important academic value.

2 Content Introduction

Chapter One explores a new perspective on modality research within the DxCG framework, including the organization of modality construction networks, the historical development path of form and meaning, and the distinction between construction and change. Chapter 2 analyzes the independent construction status of English modal acronyms, pointing out significant differences in their form, frequency of use, collocation preferences, and semantic functions compared to the perfect form. Chapter 3 studied the grammaticalization level of German modal constructions through quantitative methods and found that the grammaticalization level of [verstehen V] was higher than that of [wissen V]. Chapter 4 constructs the historical evolution of the German Verdienen construction through synchronic variation, revealing its different stages of grammaticalization. Chapter 5 explores the process of grammatical construction of adverbs in Galician language, challenging the one-way hypothesis of interactive subjectification evolution. Chapter 6 analyzes the constructions representing "unexpected" in modern French and Finnish, pointing out that the vocabulary and grammatical components of these constructions interact during the process of grammaticalization. Chapter 7 constructs a German indicative language construction network and explores the horizontal connections between members of the construction family and with other construction families. Chapter 8 studies the construction process of the Japanese imperative marker koto, pointing out that it has evolved from a noun complement marker to a modal marker, influenced by cultural factors.

3 Brief Reviews

In depth exploration of the importance of modality in language, it is pointed out that the development of modality markers is closely related to changes in human cognition and language use. The article collection provides a detailed analysis of the formation and development of modal constructions by integrating grammaticalization and construction grammar theories, and presents it visually through corpus and statistical methods. The research not only broadens the field of modality studies, but also promotes in-depth research. The collection highlights three key themes in the study of the combination of modality and DxCG: the network node view of construction grammar, the path of the development of modality construction form and meaning, and the distinction between construction and construction change. In addition, the collection also focuses on atypical modal constructions, such as English abbreviations and complement clause constructions, providing a global network for modal research. In terms of theoretical application, the collection reflects on previous research based on research facts and attempts to break through research bottlenecks. The collection also emphasizes the use of authentic language materials and the combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis, which improves the reproducibility of research. Although there are some shortcomings, such as insufficient explanatory power of some chapter analysis methods and a lack of research on Chinese modal categories, the collection as a whole provides valuable references for DxCG and modal construction research.