Intersubjective evidentials in Yurakaré: Evidence from conversational data and a first step toward a comparative perspective

This paper argues that evidentials in Yurakaré (Bolivia, isolate) have an intersubjective dimension in that they do not only express the speaker’s information source, but also convey the speaker’s assumptions about the addressee’s perspective on the information. To describe these intersubjective evidentials, an analysis is proposed in terms of a relation between speaker and addressee and two propositions, the expressed proposition and the proposition which constitutes evidence for it. Evidence from conversational data is presented to support the intersubjective analysis of the Yurakaré evidentials. Comparing Yurakaré to two other languages, South Conchucos Quechua (Hintz 2007) and Southeastern Tepehuan (Willett 1991), it is suggested that there are at least two types of intersubjective evidentials. Evidentials of the first type have different forms contrasting in terms of intersubjectivity within evidential types (South Conchucos Quechua, Southeastern Tepehuan), while those of the second type have specific intersubjective components without such a contrast (Yurakaré).