Acknowledgements
List of abbreviations and symbols
1. Introduction
1.1. Aims of the study
1.2. The layout of the study
2. The framework
2.1. A traditional view of modality
2.2. Representation of modality
2.3. Concepts of modal meanings
2.4. Semantic change in the English modal system
2.5. Mechanisms of the semantic change in the modals
2.5.1. Subjectification
2.5.2. Inferencing
2.5.3. Metaphorization and metonymization
2.6. Grammaticalization
2.7. The verb in Old English
2.7.1. The pre-modals and the preterite-present verbs
3. The pre-modal verbs
3.1. Agan
3.1.1. Agan with the sense of possession
3.1.2. Agan (to) infinitive
3.1.3. Agan to geldanne
3.1.4. Possession vs. deontic necessity in agan (to) infinitive
3.1.5. Agan (to) infinitive with the meaning of deontic necessity
3.1.6. Agan (to) infinitive with negation
3.1.7. Indeterminacy of possession and deontic necessity
3.1.8. Summary of agan
3.2. Ţearf
3.2.1. Ţearf with NP complements
3.2.2. Ţearf with the infinitive
3.2.3. Syntactic considerations
3.2.4. Ţearf with the meaning of necessity
3.2.4.1. PI necessity of ţearf
3.2.4.2. From PI necessity to PE/deontic necessity
3.2.4.3. PE and deontic necessity of ţearf
3.2.5. Ţearf with negation
3.2.6. Ţearf with other than necessity-related meanings
3.2.7. Summary of ţearf
3.3. Sceal
3.3.1. Sceal+NP
3.3.2. From sceal+NP to sceal+infinitive
3.3.3. Sceal with the infinitive — syntactic points
3.3.4. Semantics of sceal+infinitive
3.3.4.1. Deontic necessity of sceal+infinitive
3.3.4.2. Indeterminacy between deontic necessity and futurity
3.3.5. A note on sceolde
3.3.6. Negation with sceal+infinitive
3.3.7. Summary of sceal
3.4. Mot
3.4.1. Syntactic considerations
3.4.2. Mot with the sense of PI/PE possibility
3.4.3. Mot with the sense of permission
3.4.3.1. Permission in affirmative and interrogative clauses
3.4.3.2. Prohibition
3.4.4. Permission/prohibition vs. deontic necessity
3.4.5. Deontic necessity of mot
3.4.6. Indeterminacy between permission and deontic necessity
3.4.7. Summary of mot
3.5. Moeg
3.5.1. Syntactic considerations
3.5.2. Moeg with the sense of PI, PE, and epistemic possibility
3.5.3. Moeg with the sense of permission
3.5.4. Summary of moeg
4. Verbs of necessity other than the pre-modals
4.1. Verbs of PI and PE necessity
4.1.1. Hatan
4.1.2. Bebeodan and beodan
4.1.3. Neodian, behofian, and beţurfan
4.2. Verbs of permission and prohibition
4.2.1. Forlćtan and loetan
4.2.2. Lyfan and alyfan
4.2.3. Forbeodan
5. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index of names
Streszczenie
Résumé
