Scientific discourse from the aspect of interaction between the categories of modus and modality

Abstract

The paper explores the correlation between the universal categories of modus and modality in scientific discourse. It is claimed that the two categories demonstrate different ontological nature and, consequently, should be treated separately. In this light the domain of modality needs to be reduced to the expression of truth value, while the functional potential of modus will include all the other ways in which the speaker assesses his/her utterance. Hence, it’s more expedient to characterize modality as a functional-semantic category, with modus assuming communicative-pragmatic dimensions. It has been revealed that in scientific discourse there is absolute domination of modus, which can be attributed to the unique nature of communication in this field. The category of modality, in its turn, has a limited application and is mostly restricted to combinations with different modi. Further investigation has found out that English and Belarusian scientific discourses share their major modus-modality characteristics but differ in terms of modi their authors prefer to modalize and concrete language means used for the purpose.