Evidentiality at the crossroads of temporality and modality in Kazakh: a fieldwork based study

Abstract This paper investigates the interface of evidentiality with tense, aspect, and modality in Kazakh. Recent fieldwork data from several regions of Kazakhstan reveal that non-firsthand inferential and firsthand direct perceptive evidentials are gradually being supplanted by modal and temporal operators in spoken Kazakh. These changes can be attributed to three primary factors: (i) prolonged language contact with Russian; (ii) processes of language simplification driven by the active use of temporal operators; and (iii) speakers’ tendency to prioritize the expression of subjective evaluation and temporal specification over the encoding of information source. In contrast, Kazakh varieties spoken in China continue to employ evidential markers actively in contexts involving firsthand direct perception as well as non-firsthand hearsay and inference, a difference that stems from the relatively recent introduction of bilingual education in Xinjiang, China. Using empirical data, this paper moves beyond traditional descriptions by revealing the (in)stability of evidentials, an underexplored aspect of evidentiality in the entire field.